


Arcana

by Seshru



Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Magic, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-01-23 00:29:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18538603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seshru/pseuds/Seshru
Summary: When Sorina arrived in Japan four years ago, practically alone and without knowing the language, Yui Komori was her biggest support. Both became inseparable, so much so that she offered to accompany her to her new home. No one was prepared for the events that her arrival would unleash.





	1. The Wheel of Fortune (Reversed)

The soft patter of a pen writing was the only sound to be heard in the cozy office. While the man was still immersed in his work, his young daughter reading sitting next to him, completely focused on her homework.

A few knocks at the door were the ones that managed to break their concentration. The man closed the notebook where he was writing and cleared his throat. Yui set aside one of her pale blond locks from her face and did the same, as her father had taught her that, as her successor, she should set an example for the parishioners.

"They have arrived, Mr Komori."

"Let them in." He said, rising from the chair and standing in front of his desk. He was dressed with the corresponding religious attire, letting his high status be seen. He leaned his hands on the table, taking a casual pose.

The door opened slowly, revealing two men dressing accrding to their corresponding religious rank. Once they entered the office, they both turned aside, revealing their companions.

A woman of high stature and elegantly dressed, accompanied by a young boy of approximately the age of Yui approached the center of the room. While the woman was unmistakable Japanese, of short, straight and dark hair like the feathers of a raven and porcelain skin with deep, black baged eyes, the young man who was at her side did not belong to her ethnic group, being thus the first person that Yui met who was not born in her country.

His hair was blond and, unlike the pale hue of Yui, his was a reminiscent of gold; moreover, while both had curly hair, the newcomer's was shorter and thicker, swirling around as if it were a lion's mane, making his face almost impossible to see. However, what surprised Yui most was his dark skin, much darker than anyone Yui had ever seen.

"Welcome." He greeted them. "My name is Seiji Komori, the leader of this church. I would like to let you know first that you need not to worry about anything. Here, you will be well attended."

The woman's gaze was hard and full of distrust, but she finally nodded. The boy, on the other hand, merely observed Yui with his big, brown eyes, ones the little girl could not look away from.

"You will be provided with accommodation and protection, as well as a good education for the girl." He continued as he crouched in front of the foreigner child to be at her height. It was at this point when Yui realized that the strange boy was, actually, a girl. " I promise you will feel at home."

"Sir," interrupted one of them, scratching the nape of the neck. "Remember what I told you about the girl.

Seiji, who after the words of his companion looked at the girl, realized that her sight was wandering, oblivious to the conversation.

"Oh, right." He knelt down in front of his daughter, who looked at him curiously. — Yui, honey, this girl has come a long way with her aunt and will enter your school next year. She doesn't know our language and it will be very difficult to start in a new country. Why don't you become friends and teach her, sweetie?

The Japanese girl looked again at the other kid, a pinch of fear reflected in her pinkish eyes. Her appearance intimidated her a little, it was something she could not deny. However, she wanted to listen to her father, and so she put her fear aside and approached the girl while extending her arm.

"Yui." She said as she hit her chest with her fingers, trying to make her understand that was her name, and patiently awaited for her to introduce herself. The other girl looked back and forth to her hand and then her aunt, as if asking permission. At the same pace that the girl moved her head, a large golden earrings swayed hanging from her ears, the small coins hunging from it tinkling merrily.

For an instant, the woman's obsidian eyes stuck on Yui, making a shiver run down her back, as if her eyes could look into the depths of her soul.

The feeling did not last long however, as the jet-haired Japanese woman looked away and nodded again. To the girl's stupor, the young foreigner ignored her hand and, without hesitation, grabbed her arms with an incredible force and kissed her on each cheek, causing her a huge blush.

"Sorina." She said slowly as a smile appeared on her face.

* * *

"Yui, over here! — the melodious voice of her best friend, who was still dragging her native accent while speaking Yui's, took her from her thoughts and made her jump a little in her seat. Before the blonde could say anything, she placed an arm around her neck and brought her close to her with her usual strength while holding her phone, camera ready to take a picture. In the brief moment it took for Yui to recover from the confusion and smile for the camera, she could see on the screen her friend, who put one of her most charming smiles.

Both had grown a lot since the moment they met, four years ago. Now, being seventeen years old, Sorina had abandoned that distrustful attitude with which she arrived and had become one of the most graceful and extroverted people she knew, and, more importantly, one of the most important people in her life. They were inseparable and went together everywhere, being that the reason why, at that time, both were inside a taxi on their way to Yui's new home.

Her appearance had also changed, and now her femininity was subtlety visible through her rough shapes. Her hair fell in long, golden curls to her waist, more pronounced than ever before. She had also grown up in musculature, and Yui had to admit that she was still amazed at the strength her friend had, reaching such skillful legs that had made her the fastest girl in school. Yui did not know what kind of training she had been doing, but it certainly worked. Countless times, Sorina had defended and helped her, a fact that Yui could not be more grateful of.

"Are you all right?" asked Sorina, looking at her with those huge dark eyes of hers that Yui used to describe as burning coals. "You look thoughtful."

"Oh, sorry." Yui responded with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I was thinking about how much you've changed over the years."

"Is that so?" she asked for herself, putting a finger over her dark lips — I guess when I got there, I was a little scary, so different from you.

"You said it!" said the Japanese woman with a chuckle, which made the other girl act as if it had offended her, putting a hand over her chest and letting a sound of feigned indignation escape. "Even so, I sometimes regret those feelings. Everyone used to treat you differently when they saw you were a foreigner. Coming from a place as far away as Spain,on top of it being from different ethnicity, to reach a destination that you did not know or the language... It had to be a terrifying experience.

"Right you are. At first it was hard to make people here that being a gypsy and having dark skin was not similar to being a criminal." The blonde continued, not letting the nostalgia and bad feelings of that timeget a hang of her. "But thanks to you and your lessons of written and spoken Japanese, it was much better than it could have been."

"I always wondered how it was possible that you knew absolutely nothing about Japanese being your aunt from here... until I found out that Kiyohime wasn't even your aunt!"

"Ah, I remember!" she laughed hard. "What a face you made when you knew that the "aunt" I was living with was not even my aunt. You almost called the police thinking they had me kidnapped!"

"It's not my fault that at that time you still didn't know how to speak Japanese well and say "my aunt is not my aunt, is someone else who has me in his house "!"

Both exchanged a complacent laugh, finding themselves totally comfortable in the company of the other.

"Say, are you nervous?" She asked with some concern to Yui. "You know I'll always be there for you and-and I'll come visit you when I can, right?

"I know. Besides, I wouldn't miss your dance performance for anything in the world. She assured her with a smile. I'm a little nervous, but if my father sent me to live in that house, it's because he knows I'll be okay, don't you think?

"I'm sure he did." The other girl finally nodded with a smile that almost brightened her face. Yui loved Sorina's warmth, something that made her feel comfortable regardless of the situation she was in.

The taxi finally came to its destination and, while Yui stopped to pay the taxi driver, Sorina hurried out as she did not believe what her eyes saw.

"Have you seen this, Yui!?" You're going to live in a fucking mansion! "The girl exclaimed as she took pictures of the building, certainly impressed. Yui had no idea that that would be the size of her new home, and she stayed still for a few seconds admiring it through the vehicle window. After paying, she left the car and approached her friend,who was loosing up her body after the long journey, her movement making it seem that the golden wings that had embroidered on the back his black bomber moved.

While the Japanese fixed her pink blouse and brown, short trousers, her friend rolled the sleeves of her jacket up, making the golden serpents of her sleeves hide between the folds and tucked her orange shirt inside her short jeans, and kneeled moments later to fasten the sneakers. Yui walked towards the gate and, once she was finished with her clothes, she opened it. Just as she was going to get in, Sorina stopped her and, without giving her time to protest, took the suitcase with a smile and loaded with it as if it weighed nothing.

"It's a little off the beaten path, don't you think? "Yui murmured, looking with some fear of the great gargoyle that crowned the fountain in the front yard.

"Well, I don't think a place as huge as this one could have been in the middle of the city. Besides, I'm sure like this you won't be able to hear the cries of the people who are killed every night." The young woman responded with sarcasm, winning a gentle blow on the shoulder.

When they were halfway through the front yard it began to rain, causing Sorina to grab Yui's arm and guide her quickly to the covered door.

"I hate the rain. It always spoils my hair!" she complained as she slippinged the water from her hair, making Yui laugh. Giving her one of her most mocking smiles, she put her thick mane into a bun and tied it hard so that the humidity couldn't make atrocities with it.

Shee grabbed the halberd and moved it to knock on the door, but when her hand was inches from it, the girl felt a strong electric shock that made her remove her hand, as if it were a static electricity spark. It was so strong that Yui had been able to hear it, which worried her. By grabbing her friend's hand to assess the damage, she leaned one of hers onto the door, which instantly opened it with a wrenching moan from the metal as a reward.

Both stayed a few seconds completely still, observing the gloomy interior without saying anything. Yui turned to her friend to urge her in, but her serious expression, so strange in her, made her feel a great concern.

"Is something wrong?" She asked insecurely, "Has that shock hurt you that much?"

"It's not that," She said gravely. "This feeling, this place... I don't like it."

"B-But I don't understand. You were so happy about this place."

Sorina responded with a very quiet silence, which alerted Yui even more. If anything could characterize her friend was her bravery, and the attitude she was having was anything but that.

"Yui, I think it would be best to go back."

"Huh?"

"I'm sure you can live with me. I'll talk to Kiyo and find a solution."

"But this is... my father wanted me to live here. I don't want to disobey him. Besides..." the blonde reassured her, putting a hand over her shoulder. "... You said it yourself. He wouldn't send me to a place where I wouldn't be safe, would he?"

The gypsy weighed for a few moments Yui's words, staring at those eyes that she liked so much, eyes that made her remember the sunsets of his native land. Finally, she picked up his phone and began to write, his long fingernails rattling against the glass.

"Okay," she Nodded after a while. "Let's go in"

He stretched out a hand to Yui, who took it with a smile. Both, holding hands strongly, entered the shady mansion.

* * *

The sound of the bustling streets of Athens seeped through the small windows of the philosopher's studio, the cold morning sun filling the room with clarity. Of course, that was only a vision created in the Castle of Eden to satisfy the nostalgia of his soul, which was wrapped in one of the most crucial moments of his existence.

A game of chess.

"Ah... you seem to be winning me again, old friend." Socrates commented with a smile, while moving his horse.

"You forget that I have seen this game happen." He answered, showing his fangs. The man Socrates referred to as a friend had long white hair, sumptuous scarlet clothes and golden eyes. With his long, thin gloved fingers, he moved one of his bishops. "Learn from every defeat. I'm sure in game number one hundred and eighty four you will be able to beat me."

"And even if I do not, I will continue to enjoy each of our games."

"Likewise."

The game continued as it should continue, just as he had seen it.

At the end of the day, that was the way things were for him. Even If they had not yet happened, he knew everything that would happen and therefore how to change it to be a favorable end for him.

"Then... will you go ahead with the Project, Karlheinz?" asked Socrates, trying desperately to win the game.

"It's the only way." Replied the vampire King as his fingers headed toward the Queen. "All that I have done, all the experiments, all the possible futures I have foreseen, have brought me to this very momen-"

At the moment his fingers made contact with the chess piece, an electric shock ran through his body, being so strong that his hands failed and dropped the piece. The queen fell onto the board with a dull sound, taking down with her the precious king.

And so, for the first time, Karlheinz lost a game of chess.

Both men were in complete silence, processing what had just happened. The everlasting polite smile of the vampire was slowly waning in a fine line of complete earnestness. Socrates stared at him, diverting his gaze from him to the board repeatedly. Without saying a word, Karlheinz returned to take the queen and held her in front of her golden eyes.

"I..." He finally spoke, frowning "... I didn't see this coming."

 


	2. Chapter 2

A spectral aura seemed to hover over the young women as they entered the dark interior of the mansion. Only the dim light of the storm lightning that filtered through the window and a large chandelier at the end of the hallway illuminated the blackness, making the shadows come alive and make fun of the new visitors.

"Is... is there anyone at home?" Yui exclaimed, trying to get the attention of the tenants. - How strange...maybe they didn't know I was coming today?"

"Hopefully it's just that." Sorina answered while looking everywhere, alert.

The Japanese was about to tell her friend that she should not worry so much when a flash from the storm illuminated a figure on her right. When her eyes turned in that direction, the girl squeezed her partner's hand a couple of times, warning her.

A boy who appeared to be their age was lying on a nearby couch, apparently sleeping peacefully in a disheveled school uniform. The boy had red, messy hair and skin as pale as snow. Both exchanged a look and then approached him, curious.

"Excuse me...are you okay?" Yui asked softly as she held up a hand to wake him up.

A creak behind them caught the attention of the gypsy, who looked out of the corner of her eye back, trying to capture the source of the noise.

Outside the window that was just behind them, a bat with crimson eyes watched them as it hung upside down, undaunted by the young woman's gaze.

Sorina swallowed loudly, instantly recognizing the kind of creature that animal really was.

"Yui."

"Oh no! He has no pulse!" the Japanese shrieked with panic, causing her friend to grab her wrist and forcefully pulled her from the young man. "What are you doing!? We have to call an ambulance!"

"What we have to do is get out of here as soon as possible!"

"Can you just fucking lower your voice?" An unknown voice interposed in the girls' argument, making both shut up and look again at the young man, who was beginning to incorporate. "So much screaming makes my head hurt."

His eyes opened with irritation, watching them with a pair of viperine pupils surrounded by a jade iris. Sorina placed herself partially in front of her friend, standing in the middle of her and the stranger.

"Y-You're alive!" Yui said with relief, placing a hand over her chest.

"Of course I am. Who do you think Yours Truly is? - He responded with apparent wounded pride, the fact of referring to himself as Yours Truly causing the gypsy to roll her eyes in spite of the dangerous situation in which they found themselves.

"But...you did not have a pulse-"

"Yui, clearly we are not welcome here." The blonde interrupted. "It would be better to just leave this place."

"Leave?" Oh no, that's not gonna happen." Laughed the young man maliciously as he approached them. "You don't actually think I will let my preys go now, right?"

"P-Preys? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about claiming you here and now, stupid."

With a terrifying smile, the boy reached out to them menacingly, as if trying to grab them. Yui stifled a scream and closed her eyes, feeling an irrational fear filling her body. However, she opened them moments later when he heard a loud shock, watching the boy step back a few steps reluctantly while grabbing his arm.

Stunned, her eyes fell on her friend, who had a hand raised threateningly, and Yui guessed that Sorina had stopped the boy's trajectory.

"You ..." Grumbled the redhead with anger. "What did you do!?"

"Ayato." A new voice, much deeper, made its appearance just behind the girls, making both turn immediately towards its owner. Another man, uniformed like the first one and with perfectly combed, obsidian-coloured hair and scarlet eyes framed with glasses, looked at Ayato seriously. "What's all the commotion?"

"Tch, Reiji ..." He replied irritably, clearly annoyed for having been interrupted a second time.

"This is the entrance hall, meant to receive guests, not to play with them. Do those kinds of activities in your room, please."

"H-Help us please!" Yui exclaimed as she tried to approach Reiji. Sorina grabbed her tightly however, preventing her from leaving behind the protection her body gave her.

"And who are you?" Reiji asked them, fixing his sharp eyes on them. The gypsy held her gaze silently, making the young man raise an eyebrow.

"I'm Yui Komori." The girl hurried, trying to calm the atmosphere. "My father told me that I should come here to live with you. A-And this is Sorina, my friend. She has accompanied me to help me set up.

Reiji and Sorina continued looking at each other for a few more moments, maintaining a silent battle of wills. Just before looking away, the young man could swear he saw a spark in her eyes.

"I did not hear any of this. Ayato, do you know anything about this situation?" The redhead shrugged with a snort.

"Huh? How should I know? They didn't tell me anything about it when they arrived."

"You didn't give us much time to talk either. It's seen that you are in some need of attention." Sorina replied as she crossed her arms, raising her head and looking at him over her shoulder.

"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? Ah!?" The blonde simply turned her head to the side with condescension, her big earrings tinkling from the sudden movement.

"How strange. I was not informed of any of this." The black-haired man interrupted, stroking his chin with his fingers, thoughtful. Sorina looked away to the side and saw Ayato licking his lips while watching them, which made her sick in her stomach." We should not talk about this here, so come this way. See to her luggage."

The girls felt a presence behind her as something pulled the suitcase that the gypsy was holding, making her pull even harder. As she turned around, the girl discovered that it was an old butler with whom she struggled, and she realized that it was only a mere appearance. She looked at her friend for consent and, after she nodded, Soruna reluctantly dropped the luggage.

Reiji extended one of his hands, indicating the way. With a snort and to the surprise of her friend, Sorina placed one of her arms around Yui's neck and pulled her closer to her as they started to walk. If it had been up for the blonde, they would both have left the mansion by now. But Yui was, to say the least, stubborn, and she would not leave until she saw for herself what kind of beings really inhabited that house. Sorina partially turned her head towards the boys, watching them with an infinite hatred for a second before returning to look straight ahead.

"That girl is going to give us problems." Reiji spoke, drawing the attention of Ayato.

"I guess you mean the tomboy." He said, chuckling. "Humans trying to look strong have come before. And you know very well that they're the ones with worst deaths. Neither of them will survive the night though, I don't know what you're so worried about."

"We still do not know the situation fully. Maybe one of our brothers knows about the human who says to come and live here. As for her companion..." A malicious grin appeared briefly on his face while he adjusted the glasses . "...We will not let her become a problem.

* * *

The girls arrived in a room that appeared to be the main hall, which was sumptuously decorated with furniture of the highest quality. In the center of it were several armchairs and sofas, and Sorina led Yui to the largest of them, one where they could both sit without problems. A few moments later, Ayato took a seat in a nearby armchair, still staring at them. Yui tried not to maintain eye contact, and her friend hugged her even harder as she felt a shiver shake her body.

After all, it was a completely understandable reaction.

"And now, for the sake of formality, let's begin." Reiji started, who looked at them while standing a few meters away. "Tell us about yourselves and how you came to enter this house."

Both looked at each other for a few seconds, remembering the great electric shock that Sorina had received at the time of opening the door and how, nevertheless, it had opened itself for Yui. The Japanese cleared her throat softly.

"Uh, right. I-"

"Well, well. What do we have here?" A new voice surprised the girls, who looked upwards one of the balconies. From there, another boy about the same age as the other two, with coppery hair and emerald eyes, looked at them with a mischievous smile. "Could it be that two cute little girls decided to pay us a visit? Oh!" He exclaimed with excitement, clapping his hands, looking at Sorina. "It seems that one of them is not from around here~."

It was the slightest sound that warned the gypsy of the boy's teleportation to her side, managing to get away from him and his playful tongue, which was about to lick her cheek. He stared at her for a few seconds, surprised.

"Don't you dare." she said threateningly.

"Hmmm ... exotic and feisty, aren't we? I can't think of a better combination." the erotic wink he made for her made her gag.

"I want to try this one." Another boy, with a much more immature appearance than the others, materialized behind Yui and, before Sorina could do anything, licked her ear. Because of this, the girl let out a squeak from the sudden sensation. The blonde was quick and took her friend's arm, moving her away from the boy and hugging her body as a way of protection. "This human is very sweet.

"Just as you like them, right, Kanato?"

"Yes." He replied, licking his lips.

"Hey, knock it off you guys! These two belong to Yours Truly. I saw them first!" Ayato exclaimed, earning with his words a loud laugh as a response from the gypsy.

"We do not belong to anyone." she said, crossing her arms. "And even less...to someone like you. "She at him from head to toe with condescension, causing Ayato to get up from his seat, furious.

"She took the words out of my mouth." and yet another voice, this time without apparent owner, materialized among them.

"Oh yeah!? I know it's you, Subaru. Come out and show yourself!"

"I'm here, stupid. "An young man of ethereal appearance, with white hair and ruby eyes, leaned his back against the wall in a sign of boredom. "I thought I smelled the scent of humans around here. You have interrupted my sleep...although it never hurts to listen how someone puts that egocentric in his place. No other expression than anger appeared on his face but, while looking at Sorina, she noticed that he was clearly satisfied by her words.

"H-How did you get in?" Yui asked from the safety of her friend's hug.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Subaru roared as he hit the wall with great force, making a hole in it. Sorina was almost as stunned as marveled at such display of strength.

"Do any of you know what is going on here"- Reiji interrupted, adjusting his glasses with a sigh "I must find out why this girl has come to live with us."

The situation was getting more and more complicated, with five being the total number of enemies they could possibly face if they wanted to escape from there. And, even in the case of Yui whaving the same abilities as her, Sorina knew they could not take them all down. Both looked at each other for a moment and, without separating, began to go to the door.

"Clearly there has been a mistake." Yui tried to excuse themselves with her best smile. "So I think it would be best for us to leave."

"Wait just a minute. I'm attempting to get to the bottim of this situation. Don't you think it would be very impolite to leave right now?" asked Reiji, sitting on one of the sofas and crossing his legs moments later.

"There's no point in waiting. We're leaving." The gypsy answered without much consideration.

"Maybe you're the one who should be on your way. -The young man continued, his words as hard as ice. "After all, you have no business here."

"I won't leave without her." She grunted, hugging Yui even stronger.

"Are you perhaps the woman he mentioned?" A sixth male appeared lying on a nearby couch with a sleepy voice. He kept his eyes closed, not bothering to look at the scene that was unfolding.

"Shu, do you know anything about this?" Ayato asked.

"Maybe."

"Don't give us this 'maybe' nonsense. I would like to know what is happening." Kanato continued.

"It was that guy...he contacted me a couple days ago. He told me that "we'll have a guest that coming from the Church, and that we should treat her with respect."

"What? Are you telling me this one is the future bride?

"B-Bride?"

"Hmmm...she seems more a sacrifice than a bride.- Laito commented, which made the pieces of the puzzle fit in Sorina's head.

The girl had heard things. Rumors about the darkest secrets of the Church. One of them, perhaps the most abominable, was to offer their own parishioners to those very beings they had sworn to exterminate to appease them and thus maintain peace. The gypsy paled noticeably, which made Yui look at her with great concern.

"I should have noticed before." she whispered angrily, being Yui the only one who heard her.

"Oh. He also told us not to kill her."

"Huh ...? That means we will have a long relationship with her. But...what did that man say about his succulent friend?" Laito said seductively while a malicious smile appeared on his face.

Shu's sapphire eyes rested for a moment on Sorina, examining her without much interest.

"He didn't tell me anything about her. Do whatever you want with her."

"Excellent. I love seeing how they fight before giving up, and I have the feeling this one will resist like the little minx she is~"

Laito got up while liking his fangs and approached them with slow but firm step. Sorina's mind worked tirelessly to find an exit that would allow both to escape safely without endangering her identity. However, in the chaos of her thoughts, her eyes diverted for a moment towards the large window that was behind the males, something catching her attention. A snake, rolled up in one of the sills, looked at her with big green eyes, attentive to the situation. Recognizing the animal as the familiar of her aunt, in his head materialized a single idea: leave the mansion to receive Kiyohime's aid.

With a sigh, and feeling like a stage of her life was going to end radically, she placed herself in front of Yui and, looking directly into the vampires' eyes, exclaimed:

"I call upon the Dark Treaty!"

Most of the boys stared at her, not knowing what the hell she was talking about. Yui frowned and looked at her incredulously, being the first time she heard of such a thing.

"Nfu ~ It seems that this minx is so terrified that she has started to say nonsense. Don't worry, Little Bitch: I'm going to make you enjoy your last moments."

Yui screamed and Sorina blocked with her arms the moment Laito pounced on them, waiting for the hard blow.

"Laito!" Reiji's deep voice stopped him, causing him to let out a snort of annoyance.

"What's the matter now, Reiji?"

"Do not even think about touching a single strand of her hair." He said, to everyone's surprise. Slowly, he got up and turned his head towards the gypsy, raising an eyebrow. "Oh my ... I already knew that you would give us problems. And to think that someone from your town has entered this house ... it stirs my stomach."

"Believe me, the feeling's mutual." The girl answered, showing her teeth.

"In my defense, I will say that you are not as I imagined your kind. Having finally one of yours in front of me has turned out to be ... disappointing."

"What are you talking about? I don't understand anything!" Kanato demanded to know, totally confused.

"That treaty she's talking about is a non-aggression agreement between vampires and witches, signed centuries ago. Hurting her could trigger a very problematic situation. Although I have to say that I would like nothing more than to end her life in this very moment."

"But that means that-"

"Indeed, Subaru." Reiji finished. "As incredible as it seems, this girl ... is a witch.


	3. Two of Swords

Yui felt her body go numb as she finished processing the words that Reiji had said. Slowly, almost with fear, she turned her head to see her friend, who was gritting her teeth and trembling with rage. A drop of sweat ran on Sorina's forehead as her eyes met those her best friend's ones.

And Yui knew it. She knew that both her friend and the tenants of the house were not entirely human.

And she knew that the situation was far more dangerous than she thought.

"S-Sorina ..." she tried to speak, feeling her mouth dry. "Is that...?"

"I'm afraid I do not have time nor patience to endure this conversation." The vampire interrupted them with an exasperated sigh. "You'd better go now, witch, or no treaty will protect you.

"What are you-"

"That girl you protect so fervently has been sent here to be our sacrifice. Now, she is of our property. If you stand between a vampire and their prey..." His crimson eyes pierced her mercilessly, making a shiver run down her back. "... then you cannot say it was a direct attack, right?

The gypsy's skin paled visibly.

"Aaah ~, I see." continued Laito, showing his fangs. "It would be a ... collateral damage."

"Exactly. But, as we are civilized people ... well, as I am a civilized person and I want to avoid a major conflict, I will give you thirty seconds to choose." The raven haired man continued with a condescending smile. "A favor that scum like you do not deserve, so think carefully about the course of your actions."

Sorina released Yui's hand, and the Japanese girl felt her heart stop for a moment. Her hopeless eyes looked at her friend with complete surprise, thinking that she was going to leave her, and the teenager was unable to react to such betrayal. Fear, doubts and even acceptance that her situation was too dangerous even for Sorina and the best thing for her would be to flee flooded her mind and hurt her heart.

All this feelings dissipated the moment the girl turned her head towards her, showing one of her big and confident smiles. A smile that, quickly and despite the circumstances, transferred to Yui's face.

"Thirty seconds?" Se murmured, lowering her head as her hair covered her face.

With a flick of her fingers, she motioned Yui to walk backwards, which they both surreptitiously did until they stepped through the doorframe. Moments later, she raised her head, displaying a look without fear, almost with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.

"I just need one!" she exclaimed as she got on his knees, hitting the floor with her palms " _ **Scutum Ingnis!**_ "

A large, ardent barrier of fire erupted from the doorframe, standing between the vampires and the girls. Yui screamed at such display of magic and, seeing the stunned expressions of the boys, Sorina raised her middle finger while laughing before being practically dragged by Yui to ran away.

The boys couldn't do anything other than observe how the humans escaped for a while. The magical power of the ardent shield prevented them from leaving the room. Shu, who had stayed out of the way at all times, couldn't help but stand up instantly and leaned his back to the wall, trying to calm his breathing.

"Foolish woman..." Reiji muttered. "Do whatever you like with the witch, but do not kill the sacrifice."

"As you wish, Reiji." Laito answered cheerfully approaching the barrier followed by Kanato, who watched it with curious eyes. -Do you think we can bring it down, dear Kanato?"

"Please, do not underestimate me." he replied with a wicked smile. "Such a rudimentary magic will not be a problem for me."

While the two brothers started to break down the barrier, Subaru approached Shu silently and put his hand on his shoulder, trying to give him some solace.

Combining his forces, the spell was undone by Kanato and Laito, thus allowing the exit of the room. While the triplets didn't waste a second to teleport, Subaru helped Shu to sit down and disappeared, irritated by the situation.

"It's been fun to see you shake like a coward." Reiji said to Shu with evil when they were alone.

The blond did not respond to his brother's hurtful comment and simply got up to leave the reception room. However, a loud noise coming from the window alerted both of them, making them look at each other for a moment.

Reiji did not waste time and, at a brisk pace, went to the window. On the other side of it, and causing him to sigh in surprise, was a familiar he knew well. Unlike all the familiars who roamed the house, looking like a dark-skinned bat, the one desperately trying to enter the mansion had a pristine white color, immaculate, with large ruby eyes.

The vampire did not lose a second and let in his father's familiar, who practically pounced on Shu. As the eldest son and practically the successor of the position of head of the family, all the times that Karlheinz wanted to communicate with his children he did it through the blond. At that particular moment, Reiji could not help but feel that green thorn in his heart that always tormented him when it came to his brother.

"I've never seen him so upset"...- Reiji murmured as he covered his ears before his incessant shrieks.

"Hmph. He has reason to be." after listening carefully, the older Sakamaki waved his hand disdainfully to make the familiar leave, which it did immediately. "It seems there has been a change of plans."

"Change of plans?"

"The sacrificed bride has been offered to another clan. We have been given another, with the same rules of coexistence. It seems ... it is vitally important that we have her with us."

"That is ... unusual." he mused. "Did he reveal to you who the bride will be then?"

"Yes." Shu looked at his brother straight in the eye. "And you're not going to like the answer."

* * *

Sorina dragged through the gloomy corridors a confused Yui, who was still assimilating the situation she was in. When they were a few meters from the front door, she stopped suddenly and forced her friend to stop, which made her look at her in surprise.

"Yui, we can't stop now!"

"So it's true, Sorina?" The Japanese looked at her with tears in her eyes, making her friend's heart ache. "Are you a ... witch? Why didn't you not tell me?"

"Yui ... I ..." the blonde tried to explain, scratching the back of her neck. "I always wanted to tell you. But I never knew how or even if you would believe me. Besides, it was safer for you not to know."

"What do you mean?"

"... That doesn't matter." Sorina hugged Yui tightly without warning, and the girl stayed still for a second before returning the hug. -You don't have to be afraid of me, okay? I have always protected you and will continue to do so. Nothing has changed."

Finding herself among her friend's strong arms, Yui thought of all those times she felt that Sorina acted differently. In the times that, despite the cold weather, the gypsy woman wore summer clothes. How she used to say that her aunt's training was much more than physical. Or, as in that very moment, how simply embracing her filled her body with warmth.

"I believe you." the Japanese whispered with a weak smile.

-Soulful. "a familiar voice caused them to separate instantly and look back, finding the vampire named Ayato. "I could almost vomit."

"Yui, go to the door ." said Sorina while pushing her gently in that direction.

The girl obeyed instantly, and just when the redhead was going to pounce on her Sorina got in his way, blocking his attack by giving him a strong blow with a side kick that was covered in embers. Ayato was threw away several meters back, just as Yui arrived at the door.

"Sorina!" She exclaimed desperately. "It doesn't budge!

"Stay back!" She shouted for moments after practically jumping over the door, every muscle in her legs being visible due to the strong pressure. Seconds later, Sorina jumped back with a pirouette releasing a furious sigh after not having managed to open it. "Shit ... it's enchanted."

"Can't you unlock it with a spell or something?"

"..." the gypsy bit her lower lip while frowning, clearly affected by the situation. "I wish I could."

"I'm going to ... END YOU! YOU ARE DEAD, WITCH!" the furious roar coming from Ayato forced them to move again, looking desperately for a way out. All the windows seemed closed and too high for Yui's reach, who could not help herself with the strength of her legs to reach them.

They continued running without rest, some strands of the gypsy's undone bun gently whipping the face of the pink-eyed girl. In one of the corridors, the vampire named Kanato was waiting for them, who was guarded by two large tables full of sweets.

"We'll tear you apart." he smiled innocently hugging a big teddy bear.

While Yui laid eyes on the boy, Sorina did not lose a second and passed by, dragging her friend with her. It was a matter of time before they were found and outnumbered, and the girl did not want to increase that percentage even further. However, and because she was immersed in her thoughts, it was too late when she felt the tug on her arm.

Turning to see what had happened to Yui, Kanato was already dragging her.

Stifling a scream, she agonizingly tried to get hold of her best friend's hand again.

"Yui!" Just before she could reach her, a hand grabbed her wrist with great force, stopping her and making the girl incapable of something other than watch as the vampire dragged her into the darkness.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that the one who had stopped her was the one called Laito, who lifted the fedora lightly to look at her in the eye.

"At last I caught you~" he said with dark joy. "It isn't very usual for food to come to us, and I don't intend to waste this opportunity with a little slut to whom I can do anything I want, nfu~.

His words caused so much disgust inside Sorina that, almost instinctively, the heat and fire inside her accumulated in the arm that the vampire held, making instants after flames cover her skin.

With a sound of surprise, Laito retreated a few steps and put his hand against the clothes, trying to calm the heat. Slowly, the blonde turned to him, now with both arms covered by the flames.

It was not a state that could last for a long time, but perhaps she could scare the vampire away with that aspect.

"Where is Yui."Sorina demanded to know in a tone that left no room for anything other than an answer. For a moment, it seemed that her magic was too imposing for the vampire, but a second didn't pass until he recovered his normal grimace.

Oh, you mean the little bitch that Kanato has taken? "He replied, returning to his calm and seductive attitude." Well, I'm afraid my brother and I made a deal when you left. He would stay with the bitch while I ... I would stay with Little Minx!

The happiness and almost innocence of his voice, which did not connect with his words, made Sorina frown, trying to contain her anger.

"Where is she." He repeated again, this time her voice being practically as threatening as the growl of a beast.

"If you manage to pass through me, you will go in the right direction. It is true that I hate confrontations, but ... don't have your hopes high~" Suddenly, his face changed from a happy and cheerful expression to a completely different one, dark and threatening."No matter how strong you are, you are still human. And a human can never defeat a vampire."

"Then ... I wilon't pass through you." she replied with a smile, thinking of an alternative way out of the situation. Taking a few steps back, she made the fire disappear from her arms and, without hesitation, ran towards him. The vampire, not expecting her actions, could only prepare to receive the blow. However, the girl stopped right in front of him and, crouching slightly, gathered power in her feet "I'll pass over you!" she exclaimed as she jumped with a pirouette over the boy, leaving him speechless.

They looked at each other for a brief moment, cold emerald against blazing obsidian. The bun that Sorina wore ended up getting unraveled, releasing the long golden hair in the air.

The gypsy woman ran without looking back, not wanting to stop for another minute. Her energy would soon ran out and, with it, her magic and any chance of getting out of that situation alive.

"Come on nooow ... that wasn't fair, Little Minx!" the girl could hear the voice in the distance, meaning that Laito was no longer chasing her.

Not long after she had run off in the direction the boy had indicated, she found a corridor with many rooms on either side. It would take her too long to check each and every room, and for that reason she could almost hear the laughter of that despicable vampire, mocking her.

Deciding what to do and taking advantage to catch her breath, she decided to trust her speed and luck and go to the left.

"Go away." said a voice behind her, stopping her and having her put on guard. Subaru, the one who had shown great strength some time before, was leaningon one of the walls.

Sorina's blood ran cold. In her current state, it was almost impossible for her to get out of a fight with someone who used their strentgh like her.

"I can't leave without my friend." she replied softly.

"She's already tied to this place. But not you." The albino looked to the side, frowning." Besides, I can't stand your kind, believing themselves to be so powerful and proud when they're nothing more than mere mortals."

"Believe me..." she said with a weak laugh. "...I don't like many of the ones that are 'of my kind' either."

They both looked at each other for a moment, and the boy knew that she would not back down. She had that sparkle in her eyes, that sparkle when stupid people used to think they could get out of even the most horrible situations.

With a sigh, he crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, annoyed.

"Fifth room on the left. Take the bride and go."

"You don't have to tell me twice." the girl answered with a smile, placing one of her hands on his shoulder, making Subaru surprised at the sudden contact. "Thanks!"

The gratefulness in her voice, along with the warmth of her touch, left the vampire speechless, who merely watched her go and, after shaking his head, teleported away from the place.

The girl reached the door and opened it without much consideration. Panting, she watched as Kanato had a tearful Yui in his arms, about to bite her. Without thinking, Sorina pounced on the vampire and, grabbing him with all her strength, slammed him against the wall, leaving him completely surprised and aching.

"Yui! Are you okay!?" asked the gypsy with concern while helping her to get up.

"Sorina ..." due to the distressing situation, Yui practically fell onto the floor every time the gypsy tried to make her stand. Gathering all the strength she had left, she lifted her friend up and left the room, closing the door just as a hated cry began to emanate from Kanato.

With large drops of sweat running down her face, the girls ran out of options. She continued with her runaway while trying to think of a way out of the mansion, not stopping moving to be more difficult to detect.

"Wait!" Yui exclaimed suddenly after passing by a spiral staircase, emerging from her torpor. "Go uostairs!"

"Are you sure?" Said her friend frowning, not quite sure of her decision.

"I have a feeling it's the right way." she insisted. "Y-You trust me, right?

"More than anyone." she answered without thinking, heading towards the stairs and going up briskly. After reaching the next floor, a metallic sound, like something falling, showed them the way.

After arriving at a room with the bolt broken, Yui told her they should enter there. Sorina obeyed without questioning, opening the door with a kick and depositing the blonde on the floor, hurrying to find some way out.

While her friend inspected every inch of the room in search of some exit or weapon, Yui stopped to observe the place where they were, feeling like her heart was beating in a strange way. All the furniture was covered by large white cloths, as if the place were in quarantine. A small table, the only one uncovered, was filled with jewels and beads of the highest quality, shining with a superhuman light. On her little tour, her eyes rested on the balcony, which was closed by a glass wall.

Her eyes opened when, on the other side of that wall, she saw a woman.

Elegantly dressed and with long, violet hair, she seemed to be looking at the moon, oblivious to what was happening in the room. With a mixture of fear and nostalgia, Yui stared at her without saying anything.

When the woman gently turned her head to look at her, Yui felt her heart beat so hard that it seemed to come out of her chest.

"Agh!" she shouted in pain and crashed into a bookcase, causing her friend, with maximum concern, to hurry to her side and kneel on the floor, trying to find out what had happened to her. Yui nodded, letting her know she was fine.

Beside her, a notebook had opened, revealing a photo. Curiously, the gypsy took the notebook and, after reading the content and seeing the photo, she became so pale that Yui was scared that something had happened to her.

"Tell me I haven't been able to translate it well and it doesn't says what I think it says." she murmured as she handed the photo and diary to her friend.

"But what ... it's me and my father!" She moaned in surprise, completely overwhelmed by the situation. " 'Yui gives me happiness. The fact that it's not really my daughter does not mean anything now ... I'm just grateful for this great blessing in my life.' "

The diary fell from Yui's hands with a thud. Sorina watched in silence as tears began to gather in Yui's eyes, as devastated by the situation as she was.

"Yui..."

"What does this mean!? I'm not my father's daughter !?" the girl cried with rage, being quickly embraced by Sorina, hoping to calm her down and helping her lower her voice since they could surely listen to her.

"Yui, I'm with you. I'm going to help you find out what all this is abo-"

"Out of all the rooms, you had to choose this one." Ayato's familiar voice made them raise their heads, discovering with horror that they were surrounded by four of the six vampires. Sorina helped Yui get up, surrounding her again with her body.

"Seriously...how did you get in?" Laito asked without much interest, kneeling in front of them. He did not stop looking at Sorina, who held his gaze with hatred.

"I'll enjoy torturing you, insolent creature." Kanato hissed.

This is the end, Sorina thought. Here ends everything.

Shee looked at Yui, who had her face buried in her chest, crying inconsolably.

And then, Sorina looked at the balcony and decided. Shee decided that this was not their destiny.

"Yui...do you trust me?" He whispered sweetly, trying to comfort her.

"M-more than anyone." she said, repeating the words previously used by the gypsy.

"Then close your eyes and let yourself go."

Making her nerves turn into steel and drawing air, she sprinted toward the balcony. The vampires tried to stop her, but almost nobody was as quick as the fire inside her.

Putting her body as a shield, she jumped towards the balcony, breaking the glass and rushing towards the void below.


	4. Seven of Wands

The first thing Sorina felt was how her last energies left her body when she casted a last spell in the air, the same one that had sealed the room a long time ago.

The second, the strong whiplash suffered by her legs, too tired to withstand the pressure of the fall and, followed by her body falling onto the floor when her joints gave way, the crystals that were scattered on the ground piercing her skin mercilessly.

And the third, that Yui's agitated breathing when her body rolled out of her embrace, safe from all harm.

The gypsy tried to extend her arm to her friend, but the simple attempt to do so caused a strong pain to travel throughout her body. Her muscles were so seized by fear, exertion, magic and finally falling, that her body had become practically obsolete.

Yui, who had only been injured on her side and received a light blow to the head, sat up at the moment she heard Sorina's rough and throaty cough. Without losing a second, she ran to her and knelt besides her, checking with horror the seriousness of her condition.

"Sorina!" she exclaimed, raising her head gently, helping her to breathe. "Sorina, please, hold on! We're already out, okay? We'll find help!

"Yui..."

"Y-You should, okay? You'll get better in no time and-"

"Yui." she interrupted her with a smile. "You're soaking my face."

The girl blinked a few times and realized that her tears were falling on her friend's face, making furrows in the dirt of her cheeks. Sobbing, she put the gypsy's head on her lap, not knowing very well what to do. She looked around, finding only that the vastness of the mansion's garden seemed to have no end.

She also looked at Sorina, who was disturbingly silent. What she would've done would've been to urge her to run, to rise up like the fighter she was and to leave that place with all her strength. However, the girl just kept quiet, looking with her head tilted to a fixed point.

Yui bit her lip, thinking what to do. Eventually, Sorina let out a weak laugh and, moments later and with a strange sound, a dark gate appeared at their side, which seemed to have a star emptiness under its roof. Before the Japanese could separate herself and her friend, from the oval shape emerged a figure dressed completely in black, with large, round and tinted glasses that prevented seeing the eyes of the woman who carried them.

"Anguis." Sorina greeted her. "You're late."

"Miss Kiyohime?" Yui asked, recognizing her, not understanding the change of name and how she had arrived. "How did you-?"

"I believe that, at this point, you know perfectly well how I did it, little girl." the woman answered without looking at her, focusing her attention on the gypsy girl. "I received your message, Salamandra, are you sure about this?"

"Completely." Sorina nodded. "Take her with you."

"What Take me? Sorina, what-"

"Only two people can go through that portal, Yui."

It was then when the pieces connected in the girl's mind. The way Sorina had not shown any fear or concern for her safety at any time. How, despite being so worned off, she had thrown herself off a balcony without any hesitation.

How she had sent a message with her cellphone just before entering the mansion, knowing that there could be problems and asking for her aunt's help, who from the beginning could only save one.

Sorina's intention was never to escape with her, but to protect her long enough for Kiyohime to come and pick her up.

"No." tears began to descend off Yui's face quickly. "No, no, no! I'm not going to leave you here! I'm not going to let you sacrifice for me!"

"It's the only way." Sorina wanted to caress her face, but her arms hurt too much to be able to move them. "I'll try to buy time for you, but you have to go and-"

"I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE FOR ME!" Yui yelled helplessly, tearing the grass of the ground with her hands.

The girl covered her face with her dirt-stained hands, unable to withstand a loud cry. She cursed her stubbornness, her naiveness and her fragility. For all those things, now she had to say goodbye to the best friend she ever had.

In the middle of her sorrows, a sound she didn't expect to hear in that situation flooded her ears.

A laugh.

Yui turned slowly, unable to believe what she was hearing. Behind her, Kiyohime, or Anguis like Sorina had called her, put a hand on her lips while not being able to contain her calm laughter.

"It seems that you don't know Salamandra very well. Look at her face."The girl did as she was ordered and, moments later, opened her eyes with surprise. "Does that look like the face of someone who's going to die? "

Sorina was smiling with an unseen confidence, sparks of fiery colors showing in her eyes incarnated by her thick eyebrows. The gypsy accompanied her aunt and a panting laugh rumbled in her chest.

"If something characterizes the Nomadic Clans it's their ability to survive." Kiyohime continued. "Do you think that, even if she asked me, I would put her life behind someone's if I did not know with certainty that she would be fine? She will not die today."

"I won't die today _._ ," Sorina repeated. "There's still too much to do. That's why...Yui." She looked directly into her eyes, leaving her breathless."Don't stay here any more time, they could catch your scent. Leave this place."

The Japanese girl nodded, totally convinced that her friend would survive and, therefore, having renewed strength. Before getting up, she gently grabbed the girl's head and placed a candid kiss on her forehead, something so unusual in her that it made Sorina blush for a moment.

"Promise me that I'll see you again." she whispered.

"I promise."

Without losing more time, the girl got up and, as Kiyo told her, grabbed her hand and went through the portal. Just before the adult passed though, she took one last look at Sorina, full of worry and doubt.

Sorina breathed in strongly, calming herself now that she was alone. She put her head upright again and, with a tired smile, looked up at the sky.

_I'm not going to die._

It was about to dawn, and the sunlight seemed to make its way through the shadows of the night and, therefore, among all the terrors that inhabited it.

_I'm not going to die._

Noticing how her sticky blood covered her body and how horribly her throat was, she began to think about all the things she had left to do. The struggles and battles that she would have to carry out. The very revolution she was planning in the society of witches.

_I'm not going to die._

When his eyesight began to become clouded, she put all her effort to move the fingers of her right hand, grabbing something hard and hiding it as well as she could.

_I'm not going to die._

And so, lying on the ground and defeated, Sorina closed her eyes.

* * *

As he whistled a cheerful song, Laito approached the body that lay on the dewy grass with a slow step, savoring the sensation of seeing his prey defeated.

"You've given us a lot of trouble, Little Minx~" said the vampire cheerfully, stopping just in front of the unconscious girl. "But in the end you are at my feet, just as it has to be.

The copper-haired one looked down, watching the bleeding skin of the gypsy and sniffing it, detecting an intoxicating and exotic aroma, founding himself unable to stop salivating. The light of a new dawn covered the girl with lights and shadows, making her dark skin and golden hair shine with an ethereal, supernatural light, which only added charm.

"It seems that they left you alone. What a pity...you must feel anger, pain, despair...Ah ~, seeing you jump down that balcony brought me old and good memories."

Gently and delicately, the vampire knelt on top of her, putting his knees on either side of her legs and his hands on either side of her head. As if the blonde was one of the most fragile dolls, Laito stroked her face with one of his thin and pale fingers. Her skin was warm, very warm to the touch, and the vampire couldn't wait to sink his fangs into her tender flesh.

"You made me wait all night for this moment, nfufu~..."whispered the boy seductively, getting closer and closer to the girl's face. "... and because of that, I will enjoy this delicacy like never before."

It was then, when he was about to sink his fangs into Sorina's hot neck, when a hand gripped his hair tightly, forcing him to lift his head. Moments later, he felt something cold about to sink into his neck.

Laito opened his eyes and mouth, stunned, finding Sorina staring at him with fire in her eyes and threatening to sink a piece of glass into his neck.

"I'm not going to die." the words came out of her mouth like a defiant growl, lowering the boy's head until it rested on her forehead. "But maybe you will."

The piece of glass sank a little deeper into the vampire's neck, about to break the porcelain skin. Laito remained silent, every thought gone from his mind. It had been a while since the vampire had run out of words; so much time has passed that he did not even remember when it was the last time. But at that moment, seeing how the prey seemed to have hunted the predator, a sensation flooded his body.

Curiosity.

"So you've fooled me..." his tone of voice was darker, deeper. "You still have the strength to fight. Nfu~."

"I'll always have the strength to fight2 The girl replied decisively.

"That's...fine. Really good. But in the end...you will surrender."

They both looked at each other for a moment that seemed like an eternity, and Sorina thought with anguish that her body wouldn't stand the pressure. Her sight began to cloud again and her strength languished, indicating that she wouldn't be able to hold the boy's gaze for much longer until she plunged back into darkness.

The girl had to decide. Hurt the vampire, which could only make him more angry.

Cut off his head, killing him with all the remaining strenght she had and possibly provoking the fury of the other vampires.

Or endure until hier body gave up while looking death face to face.

Sorina showed her teeth with a snarl, having decided.

"Laito!" a familiar voice interrupted the thoughts of both, a figure having materialized right in front of them. "Laito, don't touch...!" Reiji stopped talking as he looked closely at the scene, seeing how it really was his brother who was in trouble, making him surprised."...her."

"Interrupting me again, Reiji?" murmured the boy without taking his eyes from the girl's ones. "What is it now?"

"Things have changed." he said raising his glasses, causing Laito to look at him arching an eyebrow. "It seems that this girl, who has sacrificed for the other is, ironically...the new sacrificial bride. She will live with us and, therefore, we cannot kill her."

"You know, seeing how much trouble she's making us go through, I don't think we'll make her stay obediently."

"And how will she run away being unconscious?"

The vampire looked back at Sorina, not realizing she had let go of his hair, her hand now resting on the boy's head. Her eyes had closed, and the hand that gripped the glass laid on the floor.

She had fainted, and this time for good.

"Ah, there's Tomboy!" Ayato shouted in the distance. "Let's end her, Kanato!"

"I'm going to make her pay for what she's done to me!" His furious brother exclaimed at his side.

"Slow down for a moment, please. The situation have changed."

"What does that mean? Hah!?" demanded to know Subaru, who had gone to the garden, like everyone else, to know what had happened. Watching Laito standing up, revealing the girl's unconscious body, he fell silent.

"This will be the bride who lives with us. Apparently, for father has a higher value than the previous sacrifice, which will be ceded to another clan."

"That's not fair. Both should belong to Yours Truly!"

"Let's leave it for now, Ayato." Shuu answered him in the distance. "Just take the girl away. I can't stand her presence."

"DON'T! I WANT MY REVENGE! TEDDY AND I WANT TO MAKE HER SUFFER!"

"Subaru...would you mind taking her to her new room, please?" Reiji sighed.

The albino was about to complain, wanting to know why he should be the one to carry the girl. But upon seeing her body, hurt and exhausted, he simply went to her and lifted her up, throwing a glance at Laito, who was awfully quiet.

While walking back to the mansion, Subaru could feel how the gypsy's body tried to get out of her sleep, her breathing shaking.

"Even when you're unconscious you're still fighting, huh..." murmured the boy. "If you were someone else, I'd tell you that fighting would kill you in this place. But maybe, you..."

The boy fell silent. With an overwhelming silence, the girl wasforced to enter the mansion again, which enveloped her in her dark mantle, isolating her from the heat and light of the morning.

* * *

Kiyohime and Yui appeared in front of a well-known church, where the Japanese met her best friend four years ago.

"Are you sure she will be fine?" Yui asked with a knot in her throat.

Kiyo looked at her and nodded without hesitation.

"What were those names you called each other? Codenames, or...?"

The witch fell silent, watching her without saying a word. The Japanese understood without further explanation.

"You can't tell me. I get it. I...I won't say anything about this. About witches and vampires. That could harm Sorina and...I don't want to do so. If someone ask me, I will simply say that I was not comfortable, okay?"

After the new silence obtained, Yui turned and headed towards the church. However, she was stopped by Kiyo, who grabbed her shoulder.

"Yui." she called her with decision. "Because you are so important to Sorina, I will give you some advice."

The blonde looked at her doubtfully, but finally nodded.

"Do not trust everyone. Your church,your friends...everyone. Now that you know our world, you cannot get out of it entirely. And those who inhabit our world know it. So be careful.

"I'll be." Yui assured her. "And I will meet Sorina again. I will return to the mansion and get her back."

"Don't. If they no longer persecute us, it means that you are no longer their sacrifice, so they have no reason to keep you alive. If you go back, Sorina's acts will have been in vain. But you do not have to worry, I'll come back for her to check if she made it."

"I understand...

"If you want to do something for her...have faith.- Kiyohime looked at the sky, her big dark glasses hiding any emotion. Not in your god nor in your church, but in you and in Sorina. You will not be able to face this new world without that.

"Okay." she replied, this time in a much more decisive way.

The witch nodded and released her shoulder, letting her go. Yui walked to the door of the building, and just as she was about to enter, a gentle breeze caressed her hair and a voice whispered in her mind.

_Things are bout to get more difficult for you, Yui. Now you are alone. Be strong._


	5. Three of Cups (Reversed)

Sorina looked at the blazing sun, shining brightly as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was common that it warm rays illuminated the cities of the south of her country, but when it came to her small town, they became ruthless and cruel, plunging people into an uninterrupted state of heaviness and discomfort due to the high temperatures.

Maybe that was the reason why, even though the little girl of seven years didn't do anything at all, now she returned home in sorrow after having been involved in a fight.

Her clothes were muddy and had been otre apart where the boys had grabbed her, her body and face in a similar state. While walking home, she asked herself what she had to do to make the people of that place leave her alone. She had already camouflaged herself as a boy and, apparently, it still was not enough.

_"You're not like us."_

_"You should be with your people!"_

_"You and your mother are not welcome here!"_

Those words stabbed her like a knife into the young woman's heart, and there came a point where she could not take it anymore. That afternoon, due to her brave character and the sun's encouragement, she could not stand the fact that four boys chased her and insulted her as good as she used to. And for that, she had sent four boys to the hospital.

She cursed herself as she wiped the tears from her face, remembering how her mother always told her to be discreet, how no one should know or even suspect the training she had had since birth, both physical and magical. However, either because of her fiery nature or because her inevitable child-like attitude, Sorina could not avoid getting into trouble when the problems sought her out.

Finally, the little girl arrived at her house, a small hovel in which her mother and she could live with difficulties. With the woman's work they could afford little more, but Sorina did not care. Apparently, they could have ended up much worse.

Since her mother has been banished from her clan, they had lost the little protection it provided, meaning now they were alone against the world.

Shee knocked softly on the door of her house, waiting for hermother to open it at the same time that her mind thought of a thousand ways to excuse her behavior. When the door opened and she was about to make an apology, instead of being her mother, the one that appeared on the other side was a man in his middle years, which she recognized as an inhabitant of the town. The man pushed Sorina away without much consideration before the girl could say anything, throwing her to the ground and moving on.

The girl let out a moan of pain, causing another person to quickly go to the door. This time, her mother rushed to get to her and helped her up.

"Sweetie! Are you okay?" she asked with concern as she studied the girl, looking for wounds.

"Mom...who was that?" said the little girl while dusting her pants. Her mother looked at her sadly for a few moments while brushing her jet-black curls off her forehead.

"A customer, honey." she answered without further ado. "Now, come in. What happened to you?"

"Mom, I...some kids messed with me and..."

"Sorina!" she exclaimed. "You know very well you can't go around getting into fights! Are you aware of what could happen to you if people suspect what you are!?

"And what am I, mother?" The girl said, turning her back on her mother. "You always say we should run away, hide who we are. I even dressed as a boy because you said that I would be safer that way! But if we are so bad that people hate us for being ourselves, why are we even here? I'm tired of hiding!"

Sorina fell silent when a sob interrupted her, unable to hide the impotence that caused her to pretend to be who she wasn't every day of her life. Her mother sighed and, grabbing her gently by the hand, took her to a nearby chair and sat her there. Once the girl was comfortable, the woman rolled up her long skirt and got on her knees in front of her daughter, getting to look her in the eyes.

"My girl...my little miracle..." whispered sweetly as she wiped the tears from her small face and ruffled her blonde hair. "Sadly, those who have been born without our power, are afraid of and hate all that's different. That's why we must remain hidden here, where no one can find us. I know it's hard, this life is hard for both of us, but when you grow up we can go elsewhere. Start from scratch"

The little girl nodded her head, accepting that she would only have to endure a few more years until they both could leave. "When you're strong enough," she used to tell her.

"You have the strength and fire of your father. His stubbornness, too. " she laughed suddenly, surprising Sorina." He'd be proud to see the little woman you're becoming."

"Do I really look like him?" The child asked timidly.

"You are her living image, honey." she murmured with affection, getting up and hugging her. "And he would be proud to see that you have inherited his indomitable character, as much as it can be problematic at times."

The girl's hands became entangled in her mother's hair, as dark as a crow's wing, on her way to touch the earrings that the woman always wore. Gold circles from which hung small coins, which tinkled to the touch. Her obsidian eyes looked at the girl with tenderness, and she could not prevent a smile from appearing on her face when she saw how her daughter had calmed down.

"I also look like you, mom" said the girl with a big smile, surprising her mother. The woman sighed imperceptibly, hugging her daughter a little harder.

"I don't know if that's a good thing, my love." she answered in a trembling voice.

"Of course it is!" she exclaimed. "You're the smartest person I know. And you're strong too, mom! I've seen how you respond to those women who talk behind our backs and-and how you make them leave us alone! You know mom, I always look up t-

"I love you, my little salamander." Sorina fell silent when she felt tears that were not his wet her face. "We'll always be together."

* * *

Sorina's brown eyes snapped open, waking from her exhausted dream wrapped in memories. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds as she tried to calm her breathing, ordering her thoughts. Her fingers went unconsciously to touch her earrings, which had belonged to her mother long ago. She remembered the happy moments, the laughter and the innocence. Then, she remembered the pain, the fear and the fire.

As she did so, she could not help frowning when she saw that she was looking at a strange, violet-colored ceiling with small silver stars. It was then that she realized that she was not looking at a ceiling, but at a canopy, which fell around the bed like it was a night veil.

It didn't pass long before the girl regained her memory of everything that had happened.

The gypsy leaned up instantly and inspected the room where she was, feeling a little calmer when she saw that she was alone. The bed where she had been asleep was really big, the sheets being the same shade as the canopy. As she set aside the canopy, she noticed the contrast the bedmade with the rest of the room, which was painted with a warm orange shade, like a sunset. The furniture, consisting of a desk and a chair with a dresser and a wardrobe, was mahogany in color and of the most exquisite craftsmanship.

Frowning as she realized the room was just her 'dream room', she got out of bed without making a sound. She saw her sneackers next to the door and, with as much stealth as she could, picked them up and put them on. Biting her lip, she thought about the options she had and, after trying to open the balcony that the room had and check that it was closed (and not wanting to repeat another fall), she knew that she had no choice but to go through the very front door.

Gathering air and harnessing courage, she mentalized herself to run the race of her life. Her legs were agile and strong again, and if the vampires had not killed her yet it was because they had plans for her, plans that she did not want to stay to find out. Now that she did not have to protect Yui, she was much more likely to escape unharmed.

Without thinking about it, she went to the wall furthest from the door and sprinted, opening it abruptly and unceremoniously. Everything she had thought about fell apart when she collided against something soft and cold, stopping her in her tracks. The thing she collided with let out a high-pitched sound, almost resembling a moan, and Sorina found herself suddenly enveloped in someone's embrace, which was so strong that it barely let her breathe.

"Ah ~ I didn't know you wanted me this much, Little Bitch~" that familiar voice freezed the girl's blood, and when she looked up she saw Laito's flushed expression of pleasure.

"Get away from me!" The girl exclaimed, breaking out of his tight hug and pushing him back, causing him to crush against the corridor wall.

"Ngh...I'm sorry to say that fighting won't get you out of here anymore. -Said the vampire while wiping the dust off his clothes, looking at her cruelly.

"What do you mean?"

"He means that you cannot escape now. There's a reason why we let your little friend leave." a voice answered behind her. As she turned around, the girl's breathing stopped as she saw Reiji and the four remaining vampires, looking at her curiously.

"You cann't keep me here," Sorina growled, biting her lip. "Sooner or later I'll get out of here."

"Our father changed his mind at the last moment about who the new bride would be. And I'm afraid that no sacrificial bride has ever left." The crimson-eyed vampire continued, staring at her.

Sorina wanted to laugh at such an affirmation, but the serious expressions of the vampires silenced that idea quickly. Her mind took a few seconds to process that the real reason why Yui had managed to escape and for which she herself was still alive, was because she had sacrificed herself.

"They will come looking for me." se hissed with fury. "My aunt-"

"She's already here. She awaits you outside."

The girl raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. With a knot in her chest, she headed for the door, where Laito was waiting, leaning against the frame. Throwing her a seductive look from top to bottom, he pulled back just enough so that the girl brushed past him, which made him give a malicious laugh.

It did not take even a second for the blonde to go towards the main door at a brisk pace without losing any detail of the route she was taking. She would remember every nook, every hiding place and every corner that could give her an advantage over the vampires to survive any experience that came with being the new bride.

Because that's what her people did. Survive.

Her legs came down nimbly down the long stairs and she ran to the door, which she suddenly opened. A figure dressed entirely in black was waiting outside giving her her back, who immediately turned around.

Kiyo and Sorina observed each for a few moments, and the woman could see the doubt and despair on her face. With a sad smile, she embraced the girl awkwardly.

"Then is it true, Anguis?" Sorina asked without regard.

"This...is something unprecedented. A witch has never been accepted as a sacrifice in any family due to the Night Treaty. But you interposed between a vampire and his prey, Salamandra." tried to explain, affirming without truly saying it the fears of the girl.

"Is there anything you can do?"

Kiyohime grabbed her firmly by both arms and forced her to look directly into her eyes, hidden by her dark glasses.

"There is a possibility, Salamandra." she said with hope. "You can come with me. My clan and my coven will welcome you and-"

"You know perfectly well I can't do that." the gypsy responded, looking away and gently pushing her hands away, turning her back to the woman. "I can't leave my people. Not now that there is so much at stake."

"They are not your people!" exclaimed the Japanese with exasperation. "They repudiated your mother, they left you alone and unprotected. How can you keep saying that they are your equals?"

"My family repudiated my mother. Not my clan. Not the other nomadic clans," she said, looking at her again." I have trained all my life, no, my mother made me train all my life for what is to come. All of us who belong to the Nomadic Clans deserve another way of living."

"Many among them do not accept you. Many will not want to listen to what you have to say."

"And many others will."

Both stood among a sepulchral silence for a few seconds while they looked at each other almost without blinking. When the time came, Anguis shrugged and sighed.

"You are as stubborn as ever. You're not going to change your mind, right?"

"Nope." Sorina replied with a bright smile "Look at the bright side. Maybe staying here will serve as training. Besides, they can't come for me in a house full of vampires. All ofthis may make me stronger.

"Or may destroy you."

"Oi, oi. I said let's look at the bright side."

Kiyo could not help but let out a laugh at the blonde's words. Sorina always had the ability to bring a smile to people no matter how dark the situation was, and perhaps that way of looking at life would be the one that would keep her alive, the witch told herself.

"A part of me knew I would not convince you...so I took the trouble to bring you your broom, young witch."

Without warning, she threw an object at Sorina, who caught it effortlessly. When she opened her hands, she saw that what her guardian had thrown at her were a pair of keys.

With the biggest smile, she saw her beloved Virago 250 parked just outside the main gate, waiting for her. For a moment, she remembered how hard she had to work and how much money she had to save to get that precious bike. What she would give for it to be her greatest worry again.

"Although you are now a sacrifice, there are things you can still keep as long as you return to this house." the gypsy nodded at her words. "Now I must go, little one. They will not accept me much longer here."

"Tell me something. Is Yui alright?" Sorina asked with concern.

"Your sacrifice was not in vain. I took her back to her father's church."

"That's good to hear..." she sighed, placing a hand on her chest.

Without a doubt, the worst thing for the blonde would be to have a life where she could not see Yui's smile every day, accompanying and comforting her. But she would be able to endure it knowing that her best friend was safe.

"They await for you inside" Anguis whispered with sadness. "Don't ever stop training and perfecting. Be strong, little salamander."

"Always." nodded the girl with a smile warmer than the sun. And so, she went through her portal and left her alone.

The girl waited until her aunt had completely disappeared and took a deep breath, leaving her mind blank.

From that day on, she would have to live with six vampires. She would have to defend herself, relate to them and even fight with them if necessary. But that meant she would have the opportunity to learn from them, observe them and study them. To become an expert in one of the witches' greatest enemies.

Meanwhile, she had a revolution to start.

Sorina opened the doors of the mansion, finding herself facing the six vampires, who looked at her with curiosity, hatred and hunger. For them, the witch would be nothing else than a prey, another feast to savor. Little did they know that for the witch, they would be their hard training.

The moment the doors closed behind her with a plaintive screech, the girl smiled at them.

"Let's begin," she whispered.

* * *

Yui's leg stepped on the ground repeatedly, showing the girl's inability to hold her nerves. She was convinced that everything would be fine for her from now on, but something was not going well. At the moment she had entered the church, she could feel the glances of infinite surprise of the priests, who rushed to greet her and guide her without many words to the his father's old office. Shee had been told that his father was still traveling abroad and could not communicate with her right now.

They did not even give her the opportunity to try.

Too much time had passed, causing Yui to bite her nails out of anxiety. She did not like her situation at all, but she did not want to leave her father in a bad place by doing any imprudence in the church to which he belonged.

The door opened suddenly, drawing Yui's attention immediately. A corpulent middle-aged man came in without hardly looking at her at first, his attitude of superiority fanciful to the girl. He did not look like other priests, as he had several scars and marks on his face and any part of his body that was not covered by his dark clothes

"Are you miss Komori?" He asked in a loud voice. The Japanese nodded quickly. "Why did you come back, miss?"

"I..." Yui felt a her throat dry. "I was not very comfortable with the tenants of that house, so I decided to return."

The man, with short dark hair and undaunted face, looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

"And...they let you go, just like that?"

Yui swallowed hard. She did not know why, but in her heart she sensed that this man knew what had happened, or at least that there were no humans living in the mansion. But the girl knew that she had to keep apearances, so she forced herself to not look troubled.

"And why shouldn't they?" Sh said as innocently as she could.

Yui hated lying. But after all Sorina had done for her, it was the least she could do.

"I see. Well, you do not have to worry." Replied the strange man. "You will be put at the disposal of another family...until you father returns, of course."

Yui got up from the chair, ready to protest. Those words, although masked with politeness, were full of malice, making the girl have again that ill sensation.

"You'll stay here for a couple of weeks until all the preparations are made." he continued before the girl could say anything. "And do not worry. We will watch you...well up close."

The Japanese could feel the poison that those words exuded and that made her blood freeze. She didn't understand 't she be safe in a church full of religious and well-mannered men?

The man looked at her out of the corner of his eye, watching closely her reaction. However, Yui managed to have a relaxed face, a mask that would serve to protect her best friend.

"I see. I will wait patiently, then." she smiled slightly.

Without saying anything else, the priest left the room, leaving Yui completely alone in an almost incessant darkness. Tears escaped her eyes as she heard the man's steps going away.

Yui knew that she was more alone than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a quick note, my finals are in the next weeks, so it will be difficult to me to update until the first half of June and then July. I'm so sorry about it!


	6. Five of Swords

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, but exams basically consume me XD. To compensate, here is an extra-long chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

"My goodness First day of class and she's already running late? "Reiji thought out loud, lifting his glasses slightly.

"Now now, let's give her some time."Laito answered, patting him on the shoulder. "You know it's difficult for the new ones to be with us for the first few days."

"Don't touch me, please. It's disgusting." his younger brother pushed his hand away with a sigh, shrugging. "I do not care what her motives are. She must be properly educated, and punctuality is one of the most important qualities of a fine lady."

"You sure you can call that girl "lady?" Ayato laughed, followed by Kanato.

"Get in the limousine and let's go." the blonde sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

"The girl will have to be punished for skipping class. This is unacceptable."

"Ooh~ I call to be the one to punish her, then. Nfufu~."

One by one, the boys entered the limousine and settled into the seats. Everyone except Subaru, who stared a few seconds more at the front door. Maybe with the hope that the human came out. Maybe hoping she wouldn't do it.

Finally, all the vampires got into the vehicle and left for school like any other day. However, for Sorina it was the first of her new life, and with a smile she stared at the limo drive away from the house.

She knew exactly what she was facing; maybe she was stubborn and moody, but she was no idiot. She wouldn't have survived for so long if she was. And that was why she would do just what she had been told to do: attend school with them, live with them. Be fully aware that they now controlled all her movements.

However, they didn't specify just in what way she was suppose to do those things.

Well, maybe she was indeed told to behave obediently. But as everyone knew, the witch was stubborn and moody.

So the girl awaited patiently for the limousine to disappear on the horizon. She began to dress up with the uniform of her new school, which perfectly reflected its elitist status. Sorina hated it, hated all those places where there was segregation because of a trifle such as money, but she knew she couldn't get rid of attending. She rolled up her sleeves, placed her skirt a little shorter than the rules allowed, and, tying her elegant uniform jacket to her waist, walked towards her bedroom's door with a cheerful whistle.

Sorina had to take every opportunity to be happy and look on the positive side. And finally, she was presented with one after all the accumulated stress and fear.

Apparently, all her things had been brought to the bedroom while she was unconscious, leaving her clothes and belongings perfectly placed and tidy. It would not be long before it looked like a den, but for the time being she was glad to find the helmet and gloves for her motorbike so easily. Before leaving the room she stopped to caress her precious guitar, which was leaning on the door frame. The brown wood of the instrument was decorated with several sunflowers—her favorite flower. She remembered how the sunflowers had been painted by her and her mother when she taught her to play the guitar. Remembering that Music was among the optatives subjects, she didn't gave it a secong thought and put it in its case and carried it on her back.

That way, she could carry with her a bit of her land and culture wherever destiny took her.

The girl left the room, ready to go to her new school. However, out of the corner of her eye she detected a figure which quickly disappeared around the corridor's corner. Arching an eyebrow, Sorina turned around the corner quickly, finding an old man dressed in a butler's uniform, recognizing him as the one who took Yui's suitcase from er hands.

"Hey, wait!" the man stopped suddenly in his tracks and, while the girl ran towards him, she could see how he was tnotoriously trembling. "I want to ask you something!"

Sorina came towards him and, with a smile, placed her hand on his shoulder. The man stepped back almost imperceptibly, enough for the girl to withdraw her hand and look at him with a frown while the man did not dare to look at her face.

"Uhm...I wanted to ask you something." Sorinas aid again, somewhat less confident about the situation. "Were you the one who brought my things and cleaned my room?"

"...That's right, my lady." he finally replied, bowing his head even more. Sorina couldn't help but let out a sigh of mockery.

"I'm not your mistress, nor you're my servant. You don't need to call me that." gently, Sorina placed her fingers on the man's chin and made him raise his head, forcing him to look into her eyes. Unable to hide his surprise, he partially opened his mouth to try to protest the actions of the girl, wanting to let her know that her actions were totally against protocol.

"I'm afraid I have to stand by what I said, my lady." he said cautiously, ignoring the witch's request. "We serve the Sakamaki family. I have to treat you with respect and obedience now that you are part of it."

"We? Are there more people working here?"

"We do not work, my lady—we serve. It is the reason why a familiar is created and isummoned. To serve.

"Oh." Sorina thought herself to be extremely foolish to think that the man in front of her was human. The gypsy knew of familiar's existence, since many covens and witches had such servants. Those belonging to the Nomadic Clans were not allowed to have one because of "lack of knowledge and skill"—as well as many other things which were taken unfairly from them. "Then I suppose we're the same."

"My lady?" asked the familiar without understanding.

"Say, between a familiar and a sacrificial bride, how much real difference do you think there is?" her words were sad, but her jovial tone made a small smile appear at the corner of the familiar's lips. "We're both slaves of this house, apparently. There shouldn't be differences between us or between any other familiar."

"That's-"

"Sorina." the witch interrupted him raising a hand. The man looked into the human's eyes by his own free will for the first time, and saw no trace of evil in them. A part of him still thought that her actions were a trap of his masters, one of the many that they put to familiars to keep them under their yoke. However, he had been watching the girl from the shadows, as he had done with all brides.

Maybe this one had a chance at surviving.

"I'm afraid ... I do not have a name." the man said hesitantly, almost ashamed to admit that he lacked one.

"Then it's the perfect time for you to think one." the girl encouraged him "We witches have two names: one given by our family, and another that we choose for which we want to be known to the rest of the clans and covens . Although, well, in the case of the gypsy clan and Roma people we have three and..." Sorina stopped and looked at the man, who had his head cocked and was frowning. She was rambling like she used to, and a blush of embarrassment started to appear on her face. "F-Forget it. I think it's the perfect time for you and the rest of your family to come together with one only you know about.-"

The familiar nodded while looking down, still unable to get used to treating her as an equal. Suddenly, the sound of a few light bells alerted her, making her look at a large clock that was just behind the man. Seeing what the hour was, her face changed to a panicked expression as she raised her hands to her head.

" _Mierda! Voy a llegar tarde!_ " She bolted for the door, took one last look back and raised a hand in a farewell gesture." I'm looking forward hearing your name!"

With a surprised grimace due to the sudden farewell, the familiar dismissed her in the same way even though the girl could no longer see him. Only when several minutes passed he allowed himself the luxury of letting out a small giggle at Sorina's behavior, equally comical and tender.

"Humans will never stop surprising me." he nodded to himself.

* * *

"Aah ~, I'm very thirsty," Ayato said inside the limousine. "Tomboy will hear from me when we return home. She's left Yours Truly hungry, and that's intolerable!"

"She really has left us all thirsty, dear Ayato," replied Laito. "We haven't had fresh blood in a while, after all."

"Shut up right now," interrupted Subaru, frowning. "I can't stand y'all. You disgust me"

"Now now, don't be like that." Laito continued, irritating his brother even more with his honeyed tone." You have to admit the previous one died too fast."

"That happened because you're a bunch of savages."

"You're the only savage here, Subaru. Your shouting bothers me and Teddy."

"Ah!? What have you said!?"

"Be quiet. Can't sleep with all this nonsense."

"This attitude is intolerable. All of you, stop at onc-"

Reiji was interrupted by the unexpected sound of a horn, which sounded insistently at the limousine's side where Kanato, Laito and Subaru were sitting, who turned to look out the window.

Driving at the same speed as the limousine was a motorist, who was driving too close to the vehicle. The boys instantly recognized the female uniform of their school, and it was not until Kanato noticed the long golden mane that peeked out from under the helmet that he began to suspect her identity.

-Wait a second. That's...!

The biker lifted her helmet's visor and looked at them as she laughed at the dumbfounded faces of the vampires, revealing that she was actually Sorina. Ayato practically threw himself onto his brothers to verify that she really was who Kanato was thinking, earning irritating sounds from his siblings.

"See you at the academy!" she shouted at the top of her lungs and with a big smile so that the Sakamaki could hear her. Increasing speed, the girl shot out along the road, maneuvering deftly as she drove between the cars and every accessible hole she could sneak through.

For Sorina, driving her motorcycle was how she could experiment freedom to the fullest. She felt as if she could fly free from any ties as he felt her hair float around him, an oddly nostalgic feeling. With her life being how it was, being nothing more than a slave, that kind of feeling could be just what she needed to keep on going.

Neither the vampires nor the human took long to get to school. While the Sakamaki's limousine quietly parked in a special place reserved for them, the witch caught enough attention among the students who arrived at the building, having to get out of their way while the engine of her motorcycle roared with power. She parked and, as she got off the motorcycle and removed the helmet, she smiled at them without any regard or regret of her actions.

"How did you get that?" Ayato asked with undeniable excitement, clearly impressed by the girl's motorbike.

"By working. Although I don't know if you're familiar with the concept of working." Sorina replied with a sly smile.

"What are you playing at!?" Reiji exclaimed, using all his self-control to not bash the girl's head.

"Relax, Reiji." the gypsy responded without looking at him as she placed the helmet in the bike's compartment. "The rule was to go with you to school, right? Well, I've done that. You never told me I had to go in the same car as you."

"We've only been living together for a day and I'm already convinced that you're an incorrigible, rude person. I hate girls who do not behave as they should," Kanato growled through clenched teeth, clearly disgusted by the witch's attitude.

"I'd rather be rude than docile." Sorina said winking at him, gaining an indignant sigh from the vampire. She put her hands to the back of her neck and started walking toward the school, but stopped after a few steps. "Coming or what?"

The seven entered the building together, and Sorina couldn't help but be surprised at the sumptuousness of it. It was clear that this institution was destined for the region's elite since it was more like a mansion than an academy. The surprise was slowly turning into discomfort when thinking about the number of lives that could be improved if that kind of places simply did not exist and the resources were used to favor the people who really needed it.

She hadn't been inside for three minutes and she already hated that place.

One by one, the Sakamaki began to disperse to go to class and, before Sorina could get away much more, Reiji gestured her to approach him.

"Listen to me carefully, I'll only tell you this once. Your class is 19-B. End of the corridor to the left." the vampire indicated "There you will attend most of your classes, except the electives. You can choose three of these, to which you can enroll in the boards that you will find near your classroom. Have I expressed myself clearly?

"Crystal clear." the witch said with an apparent tone of boredom.

"Do not even think about giving us trouble or not attending your classes regularly. Now, and unfortunately, you live with us and your actions will also affect us, so you better behave appropriately if you do not want your existence to become a constant suffering."

"More than the suffering of listening to you?" the moment those words came out of her mouth, the girl bit her tongue at her own daring attitude. She had to constantly remind herself that these guys could finish her off in a second despite practicing and training practically her entire life, and having that attitude would only make things more difficult for her.

"You think you're very smart. But believe me, that attitude is what is going to make you beat a record time in dyingamong the sacrificial brides. Now, go to your classroom."

With a resigned sigh, Sorina turned around and went to the classroom that Reiji had indicated her, spotting Kanato and Ayato with a group of students that walked ahead of her, who seemed to be heading to their same class.

_Please not with them. Please not with them._

The two vampires stopped right in the class before hers and entered, unwittingly filling the witch with relief. As long as the vampires stayed away from her there shouldn't be any problem, and with that idea in mind she entered her classroom. According to the Japanese tradition, the girl had to wait at the door until the teacher instructed her to go in to introduce herself to the rest of the class in public, and that was what she did. Once the teacher, standing in front of the whole class, signaled her to go inside, the girl went to him with confidence, standing in front of the entire class.

Several murmurs and sounds of surprise reached the gypsy's ears. She didn't give them much importance because she had found herself in the situation of having been the only foreign student at other times. However, she knew she could keep it cool with the occasional teasing or comments if she remained calm.

It was then that all her hopes collapsed when she saw Laito Sakamaki sitting at one of the desks with an expression as surprised as hers.

" _Mierda_."

"What did you say?" The professor asked with an arched eyebrow as the girl had inadvertently used her language. She blushed noticeably as she realized what she had said, trying to gain her composure again.

"Oh, uh...it was nothing. My name is Sorina Fakhry, and from today on I will work with you."

After a general greeting from the class, the teacher told her to sit where she could. Sorina thanked the heavens that all the desks around Laito were occupied, and set out to find one that was free. Once she found it she went straight to it, but a strange sensation stopped her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two girls staring at her intensely with cold eyes. Both looked very much like each other, with milk-white skin and jet-black hair.

"Little bitch!" Laito called in front of the whole class, making her cheeks burn furiously. "Come sit next to me!"

"B-But Laito...I thought you wanted me to sit with you..." muttered the girl who occupied the adjoining desk.

"Come on. Surely you do not mind doing me this favor, do you?"

"Leave it be. I'll just sit around here and-"

"I'm not asking." The vampire's tone changed radically, and the poor girl had no time to take all her things and change her desk quickly. To avoid further discussion and attract unwanted attention—which was already there, given that the whole class had been watching—without saying a word the blonde took a seat next to Laito, leaving her guitar and backpack on the side.

The only good thing about that desk was that it was next to the window, giving Sorina a beautiful night view of the area—besides a means of ignoring the vampire's chatter, of course.

The teacher proceeded to name each student to check their attendance. One by one, they all raised their hands while the girl prepared her things to start the class.

"Mika and Yasha Kistukai." the girls who had been looking at the gypsy raised their hands, revealing that they were twins. Once the professor made sure to check them in, both turned at the same time towards Sorina with a malicious smile, causing her to frown.

"Aren't you glad we're sitting together, Little Bitch?" The vampire asked with a big smile.

"Is that a trick question? Anyway, who are those two over there?" se said with one hand stealthily pointing towards the sisters.

"Oh, you mean the Terrific Twins?" seeing the girl's stunned expression, the vampire elaborated. "It's their nickname. We call them that because they have a...hmmm...a pretty scary thing going on around them, don't you think?

"Yes, I can see that."

"Why are you interested?"

"You...can 'feel' other vampires, right?" The blonde whispered, biting her thumbnail.

"In a certain way. Although I must admit that when there is another like me that enters my territory puts me in a very bad mood."

"I can also perceive others like me. And that's what they are."

"Eh~. Well, I can't say that it really surprises me. There are so many rumors going around about them...now I regret having hooked up with one of them.

"You did what!?"

"What I can't remember was which of the two was. Oh well, what am I going to do about that." he said shrugging.

"You are incredible." the girl responded leaning back in her seat.

"I know. And I'm sure the things I could do with your body would also seem incredible to you." he said sensually, winking at her.

-Ugh, I'll pass...

The classes were happening one after another without any inconvenience, although in once or twice ocassions the looks and comments of sexual tone from Laito caused the girl to stop being able to concentrate and to practically growl to him to be quiet. Finally the end of the classes arrived when she finished a Chemistry level test. Once he left class, he went without waiting for the vampire to the board where he was supposed to sign up for electives. He found it quite easily, since they had gathered a large group of students with hopes of signing up or changing subjects.

When it was Sorina's turn to sign her name up, she didn't think much about it and she signed up for Music and Spanish. However, just as she was writing her name right in the Cooking category, a hand bashed the wall next to her head, causing the girl to turn around immediately. That hand belonged to Yasha who, with Mika, was staring at her with an air of superiority.

"Well...look what the mangy cat puked." Mika began, twisting between her fingers one of her two pigtails.

"It seems that they let anyone in these days." continued Yasha as she crossed her arms, her long hair falling over her shoulders, smooth and dark.

"Get outta my way," Sorina growled, brushing the Japanese's arm away. The girl was determined to ignore her classmates and leave without saying anything else, but suddenly both of them took her by the shoulders and practically threw her against the lockers.

"We just want to talk with you. Don't be like that."

"And we will also be brief and concise so that even someone with a brain like yours can understand us."

"I'm starting to get really angry." threatened the gypsy, feeling as her body began to rise in temperature.

"Careful Yasha, she's getting mad." laughed one of the Terrific.

"Look, we do not know how it's possible that someone from the Nomadic Clans like you was accepted here." Yasha elaborated. "But we are not willing to share the air we breathe with someone of your ilk. The Kitsukai family, in case you did not know it, is among the members of The Moon Court, and you simply do not deserve the right to look us in the face.

"So don't you dare to look at us, or talk to us, hell not even to be near us. Have I been clear?"

Truly, Sorina wanted to take things slowly. To be serene and collected. She had mentalized herself for it.

And for that reason, the punch that she gave to Mika and that sent her several meters back was a very, very collected one.

* * *

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it! "Reiji exclaimed as everyone entered through the front door. "Your first day and you've already been noticed for bad behavior!"

"They put me against the lockers and threatened me! What was I supposed to do!?"

"Not breaking the nose of a classmate, for example?"

"If it's worth something, I'd like to put you against the lockers~."

"Not now, Laito!" The vampire and the witch shouted in unison. Reiji and Sorina shared one last look of rage and instants later the vampire evaporated, leaving the place to recover a little.

The gypsy girl sighed loudly, exhausted from a first day of class full of bad emotions. She needed to let go a bit, that was clear. Then she remembered an idea that had been forming in her head for some time, and she thought it would not kill her to try. At least she expected that.

Since all the vampires had dispersed between laughs by the discussion of before, Sorina went to Subaru's room. When she arrived and stood in front of the door, she knocked on it softly, waiting for an answer.

"Get outta here," growled a male voice on the other side of the door, causing the gypsy to smile at finding the elusive vampire so easily.

"Subaru, I wanted to make a deal with you." she continued without being intimidated, getting closer to the door. "Can I come in?"

"No. I'm not interested in anything you can offer, so go away right now." seeing that the vampire wasn't going to be persuaded like that, the girl stated what she wanted.

"Fight me."

Sorina's words were followed by an uncomfortable silence in which the girl wondered what Subaru was thinking. Just as she was about to leave, the door opened just a little, revealing a crimson eye that looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Why would you want that sort of thing?

"I'll tell you when we're done fighting."

"Not interested." the door closed again and Sorina bit her lip, thinking she had lost the vampire's interest beyond repair. She turned around ready to leave, but a crazy idea crossed her mind and, since she had nothing to lose, she cleared her throat and crossed her arms, looking sideways at the door behind her.

"Well, the truth is I expected that. I mean, I thought you were the type that did not shrink from anything, but I see now it was just my imagination. I'm sure you're afraid of hurting yourself and you'd rather not fight with me than to be humiliated in front of-"

The door opened with a loud sound and a triumphant smile appeared on the girl's face. Subaru walked towards her while Sorina turned around to face him. Once they were at a minimum distance from each other and without breaking eye contact, the albino cracked his knuckles and smiled showing his fangs.

"You're on, witch."


	7. Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would come back in the summer, but to say that it was a tough one would be to stay short. I had a loss in my family and decided to take it easy. But now that I return to the routine, I hope to return to the rhythm of before. Forgive the wait and hopefully enjoy this long chapter!

 

There was fire in their eyes.

"Tell me, human. How do you want us to do this?"

In his there was a crimson fire, dark and devastating, that although it was fire burned by the coldness of his gaze.

In hers there was an amber fire, bright and wild, that although it was just fire it burned as if it was made of sun.

"Don't tell me you're willing to give me an advantage. And here I thought you would want to crush my skull as soon as we started."

The girl unzipped the bomber slowly, almost with a touch of comical flirting that didn't go unnoticed to the albino, who also proceeded to take off his leather jacket. Both garments fell almost without producing any sound on the grass, dampened slightly by the night's coldness and the incipient arrival of dawn shown in the dew.

"Heh, you're not wrong. But if I break you too fast it wouldn't be fun, right?"

Both fires collided while their bearers looked at each other during their slow walk, one in front of the other, making an almost perfect circle. Measuring each other with their eyes. Studying each other with their minds.

And if Subaru and Sorina's fire had something in common, it was that both were fed by the force of their emotions. And there were too many emotions that both felt at that time.

"What if you reduce your strength a little and I increase mine with my magic?"

"Pff, magic. As you wish, witch. You can't even touch me even with your tricks."

"We'll see about that."

Perhaps it was the almost imperceptible drop of sweat that ran down the witch's forehead, or how one of the vampire's fangs bit his bottom lip with an unheard softness. Perhaps it was simply their desire for the action to begin.

Maybe that's why they both attacked at the same time.

Subaru was skilled with his fists, and that's why, in less than a second, his attack threatened to hit the blonde's face with such overwhelming force that it was pretty obvious only a vampire could possess such power.

But Sorina was skilled with her legs, and for that reason she supported all her weight on one and gave a powerful kick to the vampire's chest with the other, hitting the blow before Subaru for the mere fact that legs are longer thanarms, thus stopping the vampire's attack and sending him several meters back. The albino fell seemingly to the ground, meaning that the first effective hit belonged to Sorina.

Subaru lost his breath for a moment and widened his eyes, fixing them on the starry sky. He clenched his teeth as he sat up, his pride wounded rather than his body. His eyes stopped focusing on the stars and turned back to the radiant girl, who was looking at him with her leg still half-raised while small flames sizzled around her.

"What did you say about not even touching you?" The sly smile that appeared on the girl's face made the vampire's cheeks turn red with the anger and shame her words caused her.

To Sorina's surprise, Subaru didn't answer. He stared at her from a distance for a few seconds with a strange glow in his gaze, one that the gypsy didn't recognize until, unable to move her body fast enough to stop him, he pounced on her looking directly at her eyes a few centimeters of her face

Excitement.

His eyes glowed with excitement

This time it was the girl's turn to be pushed away, but it was her body that came out worse than her pride, her golden curls hovering around her like a golden trail until she fell flat on the floor. She'd been lucky enough to have raised her arm before the vampire hit her face directly, but that meant that the punch had succesfully impacted on her body.

With horror, she felt how her limb practically screamed in pain, severely damaged after the attack.

That's how she knew that not even a minute had passed and Subaru had already decided not to control himself at all.

Sorina jumped up from the floor, panting loudly while her mind worked tirelessly. She had to find a way for the match to last for as long as possible, preferably resulting in her victory. The way the vampire cracked his knuckles as he walked towards her with a wicked smile told her that, luckily, she wouldn't have to lengthen it too much.

"I don't let anyone make fun of me, human. And you will pay dearly for doing so."

But their fight was far from over, and the blows, attacks and her attempts to dodge them were happening one after another without a moment of rest. Both the vampire and the witch were damaged, however, although neither of them made visible the pain of the colossal force or the scorching heat.

None knew how long they were fighting since neither looked up from the other. That fight was not only of physichal power, but also of willpowers. The closest comparison could be as when a wolf from one pack defies another, both in strength and skill.

Who lost that fight, could well become the prey of the other. And neither of them was willing to let that happen.

Or, at least, that's what the vampire thought, which only focused on the duel he was in. If he had paid attention to how Sorina's gaze danced agilely through his body, or how her lips curved from time to time in a fleeting smile, he might've noticed the wolf he faced had other reasons in mind apart from raw violence.

Perhaps it was the thunderous magic fire or the loud blows what attracted them, but the fact is that none of the combatants realized that they were being seen by the other occupants of the house. While five vampires watched with fun and curiosity, a certain familiar wished internally for the girl to know how to get out of that airy situation or, at least, survive.

And the more he watched the girl, the clearer he knew what name he wanted for himself.

* * *

"It's...it's over." Subaru gasped, his face and fist a few millimeters from Sorina's face as he grabbed her by the collar of her shirt.

Blood descended from the numerous places where he'd hit her with his blows, the wound on her shoulder looking like the worst since it had been the one that had finally defeated her. The area was now a dark shade of color that was increasingly extending through her skin, and the vampire was sure that at least it was dislocated.

"It's over." He said again, this time with calm breathing and a much more authoritative tone of voice. The girl, who lay on the ground motionless except for Subaru's grip, said no word. The vampire smiled triumphantly, believing the girl to be so weak that she couldn't even say a word.

The touch of something warm on his hand caused the boy to look down, frowning in surprise when he found out how the gypsy had put the hand that could still move on his. When Subaru looked back at the girl's face, he couldn't hide his disbelief.

Sorina looked at him with a relaxed expression and one of her eyes half-closed, a smile from ear to ear lighting her punished face. Her golden hair fell on the grass like a cascade of light dampened by the morning dew.

"Surrendering..." the girl articulated with great difficulty, swallowing loudly. "...isn't my style."

"You want me to kill you? Hah!?" the vampire shouted, grabbing her even harder and pulling her even closer to him.

"Maybe...before that happens..." continued the witch as if she heard nothing. "...you could hear what I want to propose."

Both looked at each other without blinking. The smell of fresh blood clouded Subaru's senses more as time passed by; honoring his reputation, his self-control was becoming difficult. He'd already made it clear he was the strongest, killing the human would only bring him problems with his family and that would be too annoying.

"Make it quick," he said as he unexpectedly let go of the girl's shirt, causing him to bang his head against the ground without warning. Sorina let out a groan of pain and rubbed her head, but didn't waste the opportunity the vampire had granted her.

"You liked this. I've seen it in your eyes." The albino said nothing and didn't even turn to see the girl talk. He just stood still, quiet and with his arms intertwined while she spoke to him from the floor. "And that, although I don't like to be beaten up that much, serves me. If we continue to do this, you have your chance to let go of your frustrations and I ... well, I win free training sessions if I'm lucky to survive our meetings. Whaddaya say?"

The vampire continued in silence, and the girl seriously feared he would turn down her offer. However, he turned around after a few moments and looked at her from all his height with a mixture of confusion and doubt, frowning and clenching his lips.

"Why?" He asked without further ado. Now it was the girl's turn to frown.

"Why what?"

"Why are you so obsessed with training and becoming strong? You're a female human. With a few magic tricks, yes, but still a woman and human after all. As much as you want it, you'll never become as strong as other races.

Sorina's expression changed, and Subaru knew that his words had damaged her more than all his punches together. For a fleeting moment, the teen regretted his words and the pain they had caused. That moment passed as Sorina turned her gaze to the sky, tinted with pink and orange colors that would give rise to the sunrise in a few minutes. The girl's face grew sour and what had been a smile became a fine line without any emotion.

"It's not about what I want, Subaru." Her tone had also changed, and Subaru's expression began to relax at the sadness and seriousness of her voice. "There're times I would give anything to have been born without magic you know Maybe having been a normal girl, with a normal family somewhere away from everything and everyone.

"Then why-?"

"This is the life I was given. Although I'm not officially part of any clan since my mother was expelled, all the sorcerers and witches who share the status of belonging to the Nomadic Clans live in constant fear of poverty, famine, and humiliation of consolidated clans with greater power. I don't want to be strong, Subaru, but I need to be. Because someone has to fight to change things. Because I'm the one who has nothing to lose.

A cold breeze blew through the garden, moving the pale roses' petals and the fragile grass as it ruffled their skin.

"How stupid." Sorina turned her head toward him. Subaru's hair completely covered her expression, but the girl thought she read empathy on his face, something so incredible that she quickly dismissed it as a product of her imagination. "That won't get you anywhere. You're aware with that mentality you'll be fighting all your life, right?"

"I'll fight the whole world if I can grant a decent life to my brothers and sisters."

"Then...I suppose you're in luck." The vampire leaned over the girl as a pale hand stopped a few feet from her chest. His crimson eyes no longer possessed that shadow of disdain and coldness, now being dimly lit by a warm feeling that had no name. "I'm an expert fighting this shitty world."

The witch raised an eyebrow with great surprise at the change in the boy's attitude, then laughed with such melodic laugh that Subaru felt full of sweetness and joy, feelings he wasn't used to feeling. Sorina raised her hand slowly and placed it onto the vampire's, feeling a chill at the cold touch of his skin.

The vampire pulled her up with an unexpected force, lifting her instantly and intending to get away from her as soon as she was standing, wanting to regain control of the situation so he could mask his gestures of kindness towards her, starting to turn around as soon as the gypsy could stand on her own.

However, now it was Subaru who felt an unexpected force pulling him, forcing him to turn around again and face the girl, who was a few inches away from him as she grabbed his hand vigorously. Her brown eyes fixed on the vampire's ones, and that inextinguishable fire of her soul that was reflected in her eyes caused the vampire to feel a sense of respect towards her.

The intertwined hands of the vampire and the witch were the only thing that stood between their bodies illuminated by the warm and encouraging morning light.

"Thank you, Subaru." Sorina smiled candidly, and Subaru felt it was the most genuine gesture he had ever received.

* * *

"Nng…ouch!" Sorina complained, unable to contain gasps of pain every time the needle sank in her skin.

The fight had left her so badly wounded that a familiar was sewing and healing the copious wounds present in her body.

The witch had taken off the now filthy and punished jacket, which now lay in a chair beside her. Sorina tried her best not to move more than necessary while the familiar worked on her bare arms, focusing on devouring the pages of the old grimoire she held between both hands, failing numerous times and not being able to avoid trying to keep the sharp needle from pricking in her muscular limbs.

"It is better not to move, my lady." the familiar replied, who looked like a maid. "The needle will sink more than necessary if you make too much of a fuss. If you allow me, I recommend that you lie a little on the back of the chair.

"Ugh, I already told the one who assumed a butler's form I don't want you to treat me like that." Realizing that maybe her tone had been too abrupt, she cleared her throat before continuing. "Forgive me. I wanted to say I have already expressed I don't feel above any of you to treat me with such education. Believe me, I'm on your side."

"...We do know."

The family member's words, which could barely be considered a whisper, surprised the witch so much that she turned to look at the maid, stunned.

"Is that so...?"

"Your words caught on my father." the maid continued, avoiding direct eye contact. "So we heard the rumors and shared the whispers. All the familiars who live in the house know who you are, daughter of the Nomadic Clans."

"I don't belong to them at all." The gypsy replied as she scratched the back of her neck, somewhat uncomfortable knowing she'd been investigated. "But your information is correct. I have to assume that the familiar butler was your father?"

"I fear that what you understand as family members differ greatly from the races of the physical plane. We have been trained to serve. We are conjured and dragged from the spiritual plane, our plane, to yours, and assume any appearance the one who has brought us wants. We lack family, gender and, sometimes, our thoughts." Sorina sensed a note of sadness in her voice." However, we tend to develop characteristics of the environment in which we find ourselves. Many of my brothers have the purpose of messengers and keepers, so they have the appearance and act like bats. The others assume human appearance to attend this mansion, and therefore we can create ties between us. The one you call "the butler" guides and coordinate us, and thus we know him as our father.

"...I had no idea..." the witch had been so absorbed in the familiar's explanation she hadn't even realized it had finished healing and bandaging her wound.

"Is that so? As I understand it, witches tend to invoke familiars who fight with them to compensate for their weakness against other races."

"Yeah, well, that's true. But I can't conjure familiars and therefore didn't know your nature. It's been something...eye-opening, and now I know about this I'm glad I've never conjured any.

"How is it possible that a witch cannot invoke familiars?"

As if moved by a spring, the girl jumped up, surprising the maid. Sorina turned to the creature and, almost ashamed, scratched the back of her neck with a shy smile.

"Let's say I'm not very good with spells, hehe. I can only conjure fire, and I don't even know if that can be called conjuring since it is my birth element. For any other spell...I'm a complete mess. Well, except for the Tarot. My mother taught me a long time ago. It's fun, someday I'll read you the cards.

"... I see." The relative scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Is that why you use brute force? To counteract the lack of magical affinity?"

"You hit the spot." The girl smiled as she slapped the maiden's arm with such energy that it's everlasting grimace changed to one of utter disbelief.

The laughter that Sorina laughed at the familiar's attitude rumbled throughout the room, making it blush enormously and thus winning murmurs of discomfort, which made

her laugh even more. The words that referred to the girl's good-natured personality rumbled in the familiar's head, and it couldn't help but smile slightly at the display of joy.

"I see that your previous "little game" with Subaru has not reduced your energy." A voice as cold as ice interrupted their laughter, and the gypsy was astonished at how quickly the familiar's face returned to its previous seriousness, eyes fixed on the floor. "A pity. I thought that, after receiving such beating, your desire to smile in such an outrageously irritating manner would have diminished."

"I'm afraid it didn't go the way you wanted, Reiji. You'll have to keep up with my rhythm." Sorina replied with venom in her tongue. "Besides, that little game as you call it has come out just the way I wanted.

The vampire's crimson eyes fixed on the witch's amber ones like daggers.

"Leave us, please." Although his words were kind, a visible shiver shook the maiden, who disappeared in a matter of seconds without a trace. "You knew Subaru would fight with you, right?" You've been watching him and you know about his aggressive nature, he couldn't say no to vent his fury with you every day."

"Maybe I did, maybe not," the blonde replied suggestively, shrugging theatrically.

"Oh, you think yourself to be so clever." Reiji adjusted her glasses with a condescending snort, clearly entertained by the idea that the human would think she would be able to control the situation she was in. "And yet, I think I've heard that, besides being a stupid human, you're a mediocre witch. I didn't expect less."

Both measured themselves with their eyes, and Sorina tried to compensate for her lack of height with her fierce expression.

"At least I won't be a mediocre family leader. Oh no, wait. You'll never be one either."

The clear second meaning that possessed the words of the blonde did not go unnoticed by the vampire, the corner of his lip twitching for an almost imperceptible second. As the second sibling, it was clear that Reiji would not inherit his father's title.

The human learned fast, something Reiji was beginning to see as potentially dangerous.

"You are stubborn, proud and tremendously rude. I will never know why Father forces us to have you here."

"Wait...what?" The girl frowned, completely confused. "What does your father have to do with this? Don't you keep me here for the violation of the Night Treaty?"

One of the most evil smiles the witch had ever seen appeared on the vampire's face, the glow of superiority in her eyes making her furious.

"There are so many things you don't know, pathetic little girl. Do you think we would have kept you here just for that? Oh no, we would have stayed with the girl coming from the church and you...well...right now you would be buried." The vampire turned his back on the witch and headed for the door with a powerful air. "Oh no, you are here for something else. This means we will keep you alive while my father is interested in you, which can change at any time. You might get away from us, but ...

...nobody escapes from Karl Heinz."

Sorina wanted to answer him with some eloquent answer, like if his father trusted him he would have told him the reason for her captivity, or that it was clear that he was not the one who made the decisions in the family and was a nobody. However, that name caused a chill to run down her back and silence all thoughts, a feeling of fear dragging her like a big wave inside.

She didn't know who it was. She didn't know how he looked like.

What she did know, what even today rumbled inside her head in her worst moments, were her mother's last words.

_Runaway, my baby girl. Run and get out of here. Kiyo will keep you alive. Train with her, become strong, the strongest. And whatever happens, whatever you do ... don't let him find you._

_Don't let Karl Heinz find you._

* * *

Yui got out of the car with great and concealed regret. Although her face showed a pleasant smile of complicity, inside her entire body was writhing in fear. Now that she was facing another mansion like the Sakamaki, she reminded herself that, whatever happened, she had to remain calm.

She had to be strong for Sorina.

"You will live here from now on," replied the priest who had investigated her so much before she arrived at the church. "You are a good girl, so I know I don't need to tell you this, but I will do it anyway so that there is no room for doubt." He continued as he looked at her with his blue eyes. "You must be obedient and do whatever you are told. They are offering their house in an altruistic way, so they hope there is no objection from your part."

"... They?" The Japanese dared to ask, drawing courage from where there was hardly any.

"You'll meet them very soon. I hope that this time...the same thing that happened with the Sakamaki does not happen, do you understand?"

Yui's blood froze. They knew it. The church and the priests knew it, and yet they had done nothing to avoid it. Moreover, the girl was convinced that a fate similar to the previous one was waiting for her.

And yet she continued to remain calm, a cheerful smile and false naivety present on her face.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." She replied in the sweetest voice she could manage.

"... Of course, you don't." It was clear the man saw through her lie, but he followed her game when he saw that she was not giving up. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I must go. If you ever need me, my name is Shinjin. But I'm sure you won't."

And, with those last words, the man got in the car and left, leaving the defenseless human alone. With nothing else to do and ready to face her fate, Yui picked up her suitcase and headed for the door. Before he could knock on it, however, it opened on its own.

For Yui, the game started again.

And for the vampire with dark hair and gray eyes of bluish tones who looked at her through the window while holding a book, the game had just become more interesting than ever.

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to emphasize the term 'gypsy' isn't considered an insult nor a slur in Spain. Romani people there call themselves gypsies proudly and the term is used alike by Spaniards. As the character comes from Spain, I thought of leaving that word as the character identifies by it. By no means it is used for racist or ethnic slurs purposes
> 
> Comments and favs will encourage me to continue it!


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